The Line between Life and Death
by Lalilulelovee
Summary: The Boss is constantly in contact with death and she had learned not to fear it but instead, to embrace it. But when she suddenly finds out how much longer she has got, how will she change to be able to live her life with the time remaining? Follow the leader of the Third Street Saints as she tries to break boundaries and tie loose ends before her time runs out. Read and Review!
1. Prologue

A/N: Hey guys! It's me again. This is my first full length fic so be nice okay? Wow. I don't know what to say in the A/N portion. LOL. Okay, here goes.

This is a story that came to my mind while I was riding the bus home. Heh, funny thing with buses. Gives me more ideas than a classroom. Anyway, this is a story of how the boss dies. Don't ask me why I want her to die. I just thought, you know, she can't be immortal. There's got to be a way that death will get her without, you know, making her be defeated by someone more badass than her. Because there is none. LOL. And on the verge of death, how will her saints react? Are they really ready to be saints without the boss?

Meh, but don't worry. I won't kill her until... I don't know how many chapters yet. Maybe near the end even. I don't know. Don't ask.

Well, read on and please review!

* * *

Prologue:

The sound of his shoes constantly pacing the room and her fingers tapping the bed side table isn't exactly a good combination. Nevertheless, the two continued to do so just to keep the awkward silence in the room from befalling again. Aside from the machine hooked up beside her beeping, they just had to improvise more to keep the room filled with sounds. They hated hospitals.

"What the fuck is taking them so long?" The tall man of Asian heritage blurted out, finally broke the silence as well as his stride which he was doing for a couple of minutes now. He was nervous. Yes, he was.

"Calm the fuck down and take a seat, Johnny." The woman he and his peers only addresses as 'Boss' said calmly, as if without a care of what they were waiting for, "Give the doctors a break. You've been threatening their lives and their families since we got here." Gat turned to her, raising an eyebrow as she smiled, "I'm pretty sure they're doing their best".

He sighed in defeat before finally sitting in the hospital bed beside her. She stared at the red-haired woman sitting motionlessly in the bed with several tubes of, probably dextrose or some other drug to make her better, in her thin arm. A thing in her hand was wired to the beeping machine taking her vital signs every second of the day.

The boss has been confined in the hospital for three days already after a massive nose bleed and her coughing blood hysterically while walking at the streets of Stilwater. Her lieutenants, naturally, got worried and decided to confine her here against her will as there is obviously something wrong with her.

The door finally swung open after what seem like an eternity of waiting and a doctor came in with a folder at hand. Johnny Gat abruptly stood from his seat and eyed the doctor, eyes as if saying, 'Well, spit it out!'

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," The doctor avoided eye contact from both. A wise choice especially when you are giving a bad news to two of the most dangerous people in the city. "The test results are in and-"

"So am I dying or what?" The boss cut him off with her usual imposing and sarcastic tone.

"... I'm afraid so..." the good doctor said nervously, trying to measure what the boss was really feeling when she interrupted her. She was known to be deadpan but this was something of a matter of life and death.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand crushing his throat, pinning him against the wall. "Listen you sorry-excuse-for-a-life," he snarled at him. His eyes which peered over his glasses looked as if he would tear a man apart. Not that he wouldn't do that, "Now, you are absolutely certain about this?"

"Y-yes... we tested it five times..." the man's feet was inches from the ground as he was lifted from his throat, "She's—there's no cure..."

"Fuck you say?" He shot him another one of his famous murderous glares, "You are going to have to find a cure then, because if you don't... If she—" He cut himself off, cringing at the very thought, "I swear, I'm gonna make you wish your parents never even met!"

"I'm s-sorry." The man was about to cry. He was about to plead for his life when Johnny dropped him to the ground.

His hands slipped upon hearing his boss' voice call him out. He turned and saw her sitting up. Her expression wasn't angry, no, not even worried.

"How long do I have?"

"Six month, I believe... a year max."

"Okay." She said, closing her eyes.

"What, you're telling me there's nothing we can do but to wait it out to kill her?" Gat said, still not calming down.

"We can't do anything. There still is no cure for her condition up until now."

"Gat!" She yelled at him again causing him to turn to her in surprise. She sighed before turning her attention to the doctor still sitting on the floor, "You may leave now. And I want to go home now too. If there's nothing you can do, I'd rather go home."

The doctor sneaked out of the room without hesitation, "Boss...", Gat said almost in a whisper.

"I'm fine."

"...Boss..."

"I'm fucking okay, Gat. This is nothing." She shrugged, "And besides, it's not like I'm dying tomorrow or anything. Hey, at least now, I know my time limit."

She forced a smile. He didn't even have to force himself to frown. It just went on his face naturally.

"You can't be serious," he paused, unsure of what to say. For the first time in his life, he was wordless. "What am I supposed to-"

"You have a year to figure that out. A year max, right?" She looked up at the ceiling and winced as she pulled out the needles sticking from her arm, "I think I'll exhaust that as far as I could for you. That I can promise."

He heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples in frustration. How can she be so calm about this?

She stood up, feeling the cold feet under her, and put on her long brown coat which hangs from the bed post. She fixed her long bangs to the side before walking to him. His face almost unreadable from anger to sadness to apologetic.

She smiled and took his arm, leaning onto his side.

"Take me home."

* * *

A/N: Ah, there goes the Prologue. As I've said above, I won't be killing her off so fast. But I will be killing her. I'm not a deus-ex machina person.

By the way, this story takes place just a few months after SR:TT. I made Johnny alive because, you know, deus-ex. JK. I'll explain it on the next chaps how he survived.

Oh, and do me a favor: Click that Review button and tell me if I should go on. Really need that push to move, you know.


	2. 1 - Flashbacks and more flashbacks

A/N: Okay, now prologue didn't turn out as badly as I imagined. Whew *wipes sweat*. Opening the Reviews section took a while for me, thanks to my slow internet, and almost gave me a heart attack. LOL. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed the story. I will do my best to continue giving you my best, just, you know, return the favor by reviewing as well.

This chap will consist mostly of flash backs just to explain the scenario better. I'd like to give you guys more perspective on my story. Consider this a post-prologue or something if that makes you feel any better. Anyway, here we go.

* * *

Chapter 1: Flashbacks and more flashbacks

Six weeks ago a fugitive was lying in a hospital bed.

Several thoughts went on his head, all blurred out somehow. Pictures flashing in his head briefly, although he can't make out anything of it. Vague pictures of robbing the bank, arguing with the Boss in a cell, a specific Frenchman and his two assistants negotiating with them. He remembered gunshots and lying in his own pool of blood. What happened in between and after was either gone or completely blurry. He flinched at the thoughts. It felt as if he had a blind spot behind his head. A bullet-shaped hole where all the answers should be.

Slurred and distant voices played in his head. He wanted to move and look at the people talking, but he can't even find the strength to open his eyes. Nor can he lift his arms to reach out to whoever was there.

_We're losing him! Multiple gunshot wounds. Oh God, this guy is a train wreck! He's bleeding out. Shit. Get him to surgery. Stat!_

_He's stable for now. But chances are, he will never wake up or if he does, he might not regain his full strength again. _Sounds of objects crashing can be heard in the background, almost sounding like metal tools being thrown against the wall. A faint sound of a woman crying his name out, and a man cursing like there's no tomorrow.

Silence filled his room most of the days, aside from the constant beeping sound of some machine, it was generally peaceful. Almost too peaceful considering that he literally lived by the sounds of gunfire and explosions.

_Hey man, I sure am glad that you're alive. I mean, at least you are still breathing, heh..._ The voice was familiar. Pierce, he immediately registered in his mind._ I'm gonna take over for a while. The Boss needs as much help as she can now that you're..._The man sighed after a long pause,_ Just get well, brother._

_Jesus Christ, Johnny, what on earth did they do to you? _The smell of cigar filled his memory of the almost-foreign voice he heard. No, he knew that voice all too well. He wanted to get up and punch the man in the face, but he couldn't. 'Troy Bradshaw, what the fuck are you doing here?' he mumbled grumpily in his head.

_Johnny, please wake up already. We can't do this without you. The boss, she's— _Shaundi. She's just mumbling incoherently most of the time. Trying to cough out words in between sobs. _She's really worried. She's driven by revenge. It seem like she's like a completely different person now, I can't even see past her. _There was another long silence before she spoke again. _I'm doing my best to be tough. Wake up, Gat. We need you. She needs you._

Several overlapping voices swam in his head. Doctors evaluating his condition, Saints chatting about the Boss' expedition in Steelport, and other indistinct noises. There were several voices. He was quite happy that they are keeping him company. But a voice was missing. One voice he was always hoping to hear never fell upon his ears. A voice he was expecting the most to talk to him, yet never came to speak up.

Never. Not even once did he hear the leader of the Third Street Saints. And he was lying there, motionless, not by choice, but because he cannot. 'Comatose. So this is what it feels like,' he made a mental note to tell the boss about it. Yet he frowned at the thought. He wanted to stand up. Go find the Boss and ask her why she never came to visit him. He kept on waiting, listening hard for the faintest sound of her voice, but it never came.

* * *

Back to present time, two of the top lieutenants of the Saints waited impatiently for the return of their Boss. Pierce was lounging at the couch while Shaundi sat on the opposite couch, both looking grim. The Boss' little incident the other day suddenly made them worry about their seemingly indestructible boss.

"You think she's gonna be alright?" Shaundi said almost in a whisper.

"She tougher than that, girl. She ain't gonna die because she coughed up some blood."

She frowned at the word, "Some blood? She looked like she was going to throw up her lungs, you sick bastard!" The scene replayed on her head like a broken record.

_They just came back from Steelport after that incident at the statue and Killbane fleeing. They decided to go shopping at Round Square. She clung at the Boss, who was smiling lazily as they walked. She wore a white tank top covered with a purple cardigan and a pair of black skinny jean. Her dirty purple converse matched her casual style she often wore before they became celebrities, now came back as her usual clothes. She was done being a celebrity, not that she will ever miss that. Her blood-colored hair was neatly held-up by a single black chopstick, with bangs hanging on the side of her face. Her make-up was very light, as if she didn't bother at all except for the black eye liner that lined her cat-like eyes._

_She was glad that the Boss seems to be back to her usual self, now that Gat's awake and all. For a moment, they all thought Gat was never going to make it. Then they thought that he might not wake up at all, as the doctors suggested. But he did. A miracle. Slowly, she has been coming back to her senses, being the old Boss she met when she was first recruited by the Saints._

_"So, I saw this boots in the magazine. Oh my god, you are going to love it!" She squealed, almost too excited to show the woman she clung to what she had found._

_She stopped abruptly, eyes blanked. For a moment, Shaundi thought the Boss has seen something or someone that shouldn't be seen at the moment. The Boss' face grew dimmer, yet paler every second._

_"Boss?", She bent down to take a better look at her face._

_The pale woman did nothing but waved her hand at her lieutenant, as if saying she's fine. She doesn't feel fine in fact but she didn't want to worry the lieutenant. She hated looking weak._

_"You okay?" Shaundi placed her hand on her back. Concern growing in her voice._

_A trickle of blood ran down her nose which she immediately wiped with the back of her hand. Still silent, she tugged on Shaundi's sleeve for support. Her head was spinning, feeling like it's about to explode. Purple eyes were losing periphery in the darkness. Her throat felt tight. Stomach churning. Lungs burning. The red-haired woman gingerly covered her mouth, trying to hold back whatever was trying to escape her body. _

_"Oh god...," Shaundi stared as blood seeped between the woman's slender fingers. Blood spattered on the pavement of Nob Hill. The woman fell on her knees, still holding her hand on her bloody mouth, "Boss, what the hell?" She dropped beside the bloody woman._

_She looked up to her lieutenant, eyes wide and almost teary. She was about to say something but she felt like coughing again and pavement just got bloodier. Curious bystanders looked with concern, but realizing that it is Shaundi kneeling down beside the woman made their attention diverted to her._

_"Goddamnit! Call an ambulance!" Shaundi yelled, irritated at the crowd starting to circle them. She was getting scared of what was happening. The Boss kept coughing, no—puking out blood. "Call 911!"_

She closed her eyes for a minute. She felt scared again. What if it's something serious?

"Shaundi, she will be fine," Pierce said in a tone far too serious for him. "She _is_ the boss, you know. Don't she always say back in the days-" he smiled as he parroted her favorite expression, "'I'm tougher than I look.'"

"She's still human. I know she survived a whole lot of shit, but still-"

"I know, I know." An awkward silence fell for a few seconds. They didn't really know how to talk about the problem at hand.

"Ugh what's taking those two so long!" Shaundi finally said, standing up and walking to the elevator.

A loud 'Ding' went off before she could even reach for the button. The elevator doors finally opened and revealed Gat and the Boss standing with an awkward distance between them, like they just fought.

"Hey Boss!" Shaundi smiled, trying to sound cheery.

"'Sup." She greeted as she walked out the shaft.

Pierce finally stood to meet his boss' gaze, "So... What did they say? You okay to be walking around like that?"

"Fuck off, Pierce."

"Why you gotta be like that?" He frowned seeing the Boss trying to hide a smile, "Come on what did they say?"

Johnny, finally spoke sounding more irritated than usual, "They said that the Boss-"

"—They said I need rest, that's all." She cut him mid-sentence causing him to frown some more. They glared at each other.

"Boss, you gotta-"

"Shut it." Her mood swings faster than a professional batter. She silenced not only Johnny Gat but the whole room packed with noisy Saints.

She started walking towards the elevator again, prompting to leave.

"You can't do this!"

"I don't care!" she yelled back before the elevator door slid shut again.

Before they knew it, another elevator door opened once more, Viola and Kinzie stepping out.

"So, where's the boss?" Viola's voice rang in the penthouse all hushed by the Boss. The two new lieutenants went there just to see how their Boss was doing.

"You just missed her." Shaundi said flatly.

Kinzie walked over everyone, sat down the couch, and opened her laptop. "I can trace her if you want."

"Okay, Gat, what the fuck is happening here?" Shaundi finally snapped.

He heaved a long sigh and ran his eyes on all the lieutenants present. He didn't want to be the one to break the news to them. He didn't have the heart to tell them, "She's dying."

"Wha-"

The room fell into silence and everybody froze from whatever they were doing, even the ever present faint sounds of Kinzie's keyboard were gone. All eyes were on the Saint's second-in-command, all wide in disbelief. People were unsure if they heard correctly.

"Wha—Are you serious?" Viola shot him a glare.

"I wish I wasn't."

* * *

A/N: Ah, okay. Well, there goes my chapter 1. What do you think? Too long? Too slow pacing? Too slow update? What? Tell me what I need to know! Review please!


	3. 2 - Denial and Acceptance

A/N: Ahh. Thanks for reviewing everyone! I reply to everyone who reviews as soon as I read them but just to reiterate, thank you so much for reviewing my story. It means a lot to me to see people approve my work. I love you guys. Please continue supporting my story. Hey, and if you favorite-d or followed my story, please, please review it as well.

And yes, I made this story for the sole purpose that I want to experiment with killing the Boss since no one seem to want to do it. I like doing the dirty work. Just kidding.

Did you know I was originally planning to make this story a Johnny Gat POV? But I thought I should make it a third person instead because I want to go into the other lieutenants' heads too. This is the result.

* * *

Chapter 2: Denial and Acceptance

"No, no, no, this can't be happening." The former Morningstar lieutenant shook her head in disbelief. Although she had been with her for just a short time, she looked highly of her new Boss. Sometimes she reminds her of her twin sister, Kiki. Smart, regal, and composed, but sure knows how to kick ass when provoked. She fell down to the couch beside Kinzie. "I mean—how?"

"Are they sure?" the old pimp who had just arrived sang in his auto-tuned voice. If his voice can convey emotions, it will surely be full of dismay or concern. She was way too young to be dying. She could have done greater things.

Johnny just shrugged his shoulders. He was tired of explaining. He found no reason to tell them more about her condition. It didn't matter for him whatever it is causing her pain. It only mattered that she was in pain. And for all he knows, telling them won't make her any better.

"We should bring her to one of the doctors I know back in Russia. They might find a better solution." His words were thick with Russian accent. He will literally do everything to save the woman who saved him. Even if that means contacting his former allies in KGB.

"Problem is that she doesn't want to receive any treatment." He said as he adjusted his glasses to cover more his guilt-ridden eyes. "Goddamnit, she won't even take pain killers!"

"Is she crazy?" Shaundi exploded with rage. Anger was the best cover-up she knew for the sadness she felt in her heart. "What, she wants to die so badly?" She was never one to question the Boss' judgments, but this was just madness.

"My love, relax." Josh Birk placed a hand on the hot-headed lieutenant's shoulder which she instantly shrugged off. "Isn't there a way to convince her to be treated? I mean, it is for her own good."

"What do you want to do?" the wrestler took a step closer to the crowd, "Tie her in a chair and shove pain killers in her mouth?"

"Heh, I might just do that if she keeps this up." Gat finally sat down the couch beside Pierce who was still trying to sort his thoughts on all this. "So, what are we gonna do about the Boss?"

"First of all, we gotta find her-" Shaundi said arms crossed across her chest.

"Found her." Kinzie exclaimed much to Shaundi's annoyance. "She's at your old HQ." She jerked her head on Gat's direction.

"What? The church?" he lifted an eyebrow as he reached for the beer sitting idly on the table.

"She just went inside a few minutes ago." The young hacker fixed her eyes on her laptop once again, wondering what the Boss is planning to do inside a church turned city landmark. She knew it was their former base of operations back when she wasn't the leader, but knowing her history with the former leaders of the Saints, she just had to ask herself why she wanted to go there.

"Okay then. Johnny, go pick her up." The ex-hippie spoke again. Her tone playing between imposing and annoyed. She wasn't a huge fan of Kinzie cutting her off. She used to do that all the time with Pierce, but this one's different.

"Why the fuck does it have to be me?" Obviously, he and the Boss got off the wrong foot. He was still pretty much pissed off.

"Because she might throw a crucifix on me if I come there myself and she's still pissed off." Pierce had a smile creeping on his face. The Saints were used to poking fun even in tough situations. A habit they all adapted from the Boss.

"Oh and she won't throw one on me? How sweet of her."

"Yeah, you have nine-lives anyway." Pierce shot back, a bit happy that Gat seems to be cooling down. "Pretty sure you won't die from that."

"Shut up, you two!" Shaundi interjected, placing a hand on her hip. "Gat, hurry up and pick up the Boss! She shouldn't even be left alone. What if she pukes blood again and she's alone?" She threw him a sideward glare. She knew too well that Johnny won't be able to resist the Boss no matter how much she pisses him off. It's a theory she had proven so many times. "And also, go apologize to her."

"What's there to apologize for? It was her fault." he took another sip before standing up and grabbing the keys to his Venom Classic. "I was just trying to tell her not to throw away her life."

"Just go." She glared at him. Her voice was cold.

"Yes ma'am." He raised his hand on a lousy salute before turning to the elevator. It is true. He cannot stand to leave the Boss on her own. He knew that even if Shaundi didn't tell him to find her, he will eventually do so once he has cooled his head. The Boss seem to have that kind of power over him.

* * *

The old church was empty when she arrived. Her heels noisily tapping the marble under her feet as she walked towards the altar.

"Been a long time." She smiled inwardly as she sat on the altar, her toned legs hanging from it. She looked around the church turned gang house and now city landmark. Stilwater Memorial Church. It used to be home. _Their_ home.

Her purple eyes wandered around the interior of the church. The pews which were once soiled with dirt and blood were now neat and polished and arranged in perfect rows. The stained glass window which she broke years ago while she was practicing how to use a shotgun was now replaced by an even more regal one. Golden candelabras now adorns every corner of the church and a single grand chandelier hangs from the ceiling. She laughed as she remembered Dex and Troy daring her one drunken night to jump on the once rusty chandelier and swinging from it to the adjacent balcony. The hall was clear and empty, in comparison to the multitude of weapon stashes, ammo boxes, and beer bottles that stacked at every corner of the church. She looked up the second storey balcony and imagined the old Saints chilling in the balcony like they used to so many years ago. She saw Troy lighting a tobacco lodged between his lips, puffing a cloud of smoke as he grinned. Dex and Johnny leaning on the rail, chatting and drinking a beer. Lin, now sporting a pair of purple jogging pants, emerging from the stairs and swiping the bottle from Johnny's hands and laughing boisterously at the man she had just angered. Their leader, Julius Little, soon turned up and stood regally at the center of the balcony, looking down at her, meeting her gaze. He smiled, held out his hand, as if inviting her to join them.

She smiled, almost about to get up before she realized she was fooling herself. None of those things she saw was real, just a figment of her imagination. She looked up again to see Troy in his Chief of police uniform, holding his badge, the proof of his betrayal, in his hand. Lin was dripping wet, skin slightly pale blue and hair all messed up. She was still bleeding from where she was shot. She saw Dex standing proudly in a grey suit and orange tie with the Ultor sun pinned on his chest. No longer the kid from the street she once knew. Julius, still holding his hand out to her, bled from a single bullet hole on his forehead. She looked at all of them with horror. "What happened to us?" she asked herself.

"Boss?" The doors of the church creaked as it opened, letting the bright light from outside blind her, making all the images she formed in her head disappear into the light. His voice echoed through the empty halls of the church.

His eyes met hers. She was sitting idly on the altar. He walked towards her, never breaking the eye contact.

"What?" he asked, noticing the fresh tears on her eyes.

"What?" she shot back, quite confused by the question.

"Why are you crying now?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Wha-" she touched her eyes and felt the warm stream of salt that ran down her face. She didn't realize she was crying again. She wiped it with her sleeve like a kid. "Wow, I didn't see that coming." She forced an empty laugh.

"Geez, you are such a cry baby." He said under his breath as he leaned back on the altar, just beside the Boss. He looked up at the balcony the woman was previously staring at. He had his fair share of good memories up there.

They exchanged a smile before the Boss leaned towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder, some habit of hers when she feels lonely. For a few minutes, they said nothing. It was as if a single sound could ruin the moment they had. Some peace and quiet was just what they needed.

A few good minutes later, the red-haired woman finally lifted her head. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make her messy long hair more presentable.

"You good to go?" the man peered from his tinted glasses.

She bit her lip and jumped down from the altar she was sitting on. "Do you think this is selfish of me?"

Johnny looked at the woman. He knew she was serious but he didn't know how to answer her. "I wouldn't hold it against you." He regretted saying it the moment it came out of his mouth. It was the stupidest thing to say to any person about to commit suicide, and in this case, it was his Boss throwing away her life. He wanted to take back his words, beg her to get herself treated, but decided against it anyway. "If this is what you want, to die without a fight... It's your life." Cruel words. More cruel coming from him. "But..."

"But what?" she turned to him. Her eyes seeking for an answer.

_But what, Johnny?_ He didn't know what to say either. He was too distracted to think for a better answer. "They... need you. The Saints will fall without a leader."

"I believe the Saints are strong enough to stand without me." She twirled her hair in her finger. Her hair was hanging freely today, swaying lightly from the cool breeze that entered the church. "I left Stilwater to a bunch of Saints that weren't even my lieutenants when we went to fight the Syndicate in Steelport. And Stilwater still belongs to the Saints and it's better than ever."

He frowned. What she said was true. The Saints were strong enough to stand on their own. Just like the Syndicate, even with Loren dead, the operation still continued and thrived and if it weren't for the cowardice of Miller, Kiki's death and Viola's defection, and Killbane's arrogance and underestimation to the Saint's capability, maybe the Syndicate will still be standing now and the Saints might have been defeated.

He needed a better reason than that. Something that will convince her. To give her a reason to go on living. _Think, Johnny._

"There's nothing more." She interrupted his thoughts. She said hesitantly, "There's... nothing to live for anymore."

His jaw fell, eyes widened behind the tinted glasses. He opened his mouth to talk but he was lost her in words. She has given up. At that point, he knew that nothing will ever change her mind. She doesn't want to continue living. She is tired and she wants to rest. And her sickness was the perfect getaway.

"Stilwater is peaceful once again. That was my original goal when I joined the Saints and we succeeded. We kicked out all the gangs taking over and Stilwater now belongs to the Saints." She turned to face him in a hushed but convicted voice. Her eyes suddenly fierce, "We got our revenge against the Syndicate. Killbane and Miller are out of Steelport for good and I doubt they'll show their faces around here ever again." Her glistening eyes suddenly turned a little duller when she spoke again. "I killed Julius for leaving the Saints to die and setting me up in the boat explosion. Chased Dex out of Stilwater for good. And Monica Hughes surely won't mess with my territory anymore." She moved closer to the man, almost invading his personal space. "And you are alive and well."

He wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her violently, maybe slap her across her face to wake her up from this state of hers. But he knew she was right. There was nothing left to do. Nothing to prove anymore. They were both starting to miss the good old days of action and the adventures they had when the Saints were the underdogs. Nowadays, there is simply nothing to do but to sign autographs and handle the Saints-Ultor Media Group's businesses.

"No one in their right mind will ever mess with the Saints." She closed her eyes and smiled inwardly. "It's over. Everything is perfect. I can now rest without worry."

* * *

A/N: Whew. I wanted to show all the Saint's lieutenant's thoughts on the Boss but , well... I did my best. Hope I didn't miss anyone. Also, I have no idea how the church looked like in SR1. Never played SR1 actually, I just watched all the cutscenes since I never owned an xbox and it is an xbox exclusive.

I really think that the game should have ended with SR:TT. After SR:TT, I thought, aww, happily ever after for the Saints, or if you choose to go after Killbane, the Boss will live with herself for the rest of her life with her conscience rotting her from the inside-out. Making an SR IV with aliens as enemies is a killing move for the franchise, I think. It kills the original gang-banging theme of the game that we all loved.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review! :D


	4. 3 - The Lieutenants and their Boss

A/N: Hey there my dear readers, once again, thanks for your continuous support. I love you guys. Also, if you haven't already, check out my other one-shots and review! :) Without further ado, here goes the next chapter. Yay!

* * *

Chapter 3 - The Lieutenants and their Boss

Shaundi lie on her belly on the velvet purple couch. On her hands lie a fashion magazine containing the latest trends and collections. She sighed as she remembered how she showed the Boss the designer shoes featured in the magazine and how excited she was to buy it. However, their shopping spree was interrupted by the Boss spilling her own blood in the pavement. Another sigh went off the lieutenant's lips as she twirled her hair. She wonders if the Boss is doing fine. She is far too worried to appreciate whatever is on the magazine no matter how beautiful it was.

"What you doing?" The raven-haired woman playfully tapped on the ex-hippy's shoulder, causing her to jolt, shrieking a little.

"Ah—What the f-" Shaundi turned abruptly to see Viola with an even more confused face than she has. "Ah, Viola." She managed to regain her composure somehow. She still wasn't friends with the former Morningstar but she needed to be civil around her, Boss' orders. Her anger towards the woman have somehow wavered a little, especially now that Gat is alive, but of course, she isn't gonna forget what she has done. Besides, she isn't as forgiving as the Boss. "Wha—What's up?" She sat up and fixed her wrinkled top.

Viola smiled at the other woman's reaction. She caught her by surprise. "Uh... nothing really. I just want to ask you if you wanna go shopping with me..." She said shyly, a bit hesitant if she should go on talking, "...Well, probably not, I suppose?" She was trying to befriend the only other female lieutenant of the Saints besides Kinzie. Kinzie seem to like her but she felt kinda weird around her. She is a weird person, that's a given. Plus, the Boss told her to try to be friends with Shaundi. 'She's kinda like you too. You'll get along just fine if you give it a try.' That's what she always said. And now, given the Boss' condition, she finally want to give it a try.

"What—No..." Shaundi eyed her, scrutinizing her intentions. She still don't have her full trust. But she had something else in mind.

"No, you don't want to go shopping or-"

"No, I wanna go."

Viola blinked a few times before she was fully convinced. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. You don't want me to come?" Shaundi crossed her arm.

"No, I mean—Great! It's great." She beamed at the brunette. "So, uh, what do you, uh... have in mind?" Talking to Shaundi throws all her social skills that Loren prided off out the window.

"Well, you see there were these shoes the Boss was crazy about. We were gonna buy it but then she, uhh... was sent to the hospital. Thought it might cheer her up. Here take a look-" She pointed casually at the fashion magazine she was staring at before Viola showed up.

"Oh my god, they're gorgeous!" She swiped the magazine out of her hands, taking a closer look at the picture of the designer high heels. The counter, which guards the ankle, is shaped like a rose bud with layers of dark purple petals overlapping and curling on top of each other. A touch of dark velvet green adorns the bottom of the rose as sepals. A single, small purple rose in full bloom adorns is open toed topline. Golden brown laces adorns the shoe, waiting to be tied around its wearer's ankle. The sole was completely black and the golden stiletto heel is shaped like a branch of a rose bush. Her eyes widened in excitement. "God, I'll get one for myself. Shit, limited edition?"

"Only three pairs remaining last time I called and they go out fast." She was as exasperated as Viola was.

"Oh my god! We need to go to Nob Hill right now!" Viola shrieked excitedly. The thrill of shopping filled the two fashionista's veins. It's been a long time since this happened. Suddenly, they felt like they were regular women just seeking to find the perfect heel for their friend. They even felt like they were friends for a moment there.

* * *

The ride home was painstakingly long and quiet. She wasn't used to the silent treatment from her best friend but then again, after telling the man that you wanna die so badly, maybe she did deserve the silence. She frowned as she sunk back to her seat. She pissed him off bad again, just when he had swallowed his pride and forgave her on her previous tantrum.

He sighed as he shifted gears and made a sharp turn. "What do you want to do?" He asked her flatly, keeping his eyes on the road. Crashing and killing both of them would be the last thing he needed to do.

"Hm?" She didn't look at him. She stared at the side mirror to see her reflection. Her face was pale, faint dark circles under her eyes. Her long red hair swooshed behind her like fire in the wind. She carefully took off her purple contact lenses, revealing a pair of eyes of icy blue color. She blinked a few seconds, trying to get used to the image in the side mirror.

"You have one fuckin' year left, what do you wanna do?" He was past the point of arguing with her about her condition. The Boss never change her mind anyway once her mind is set. He still hates the idea, but if the Boss is really going that direction, he'll at least want her to have a fun ride before reaching her final destination.

"Umm... I... don't know... yet." She said sheepishly. What does she want to do anyway with her time remaining? _What does a normal dying patient usually do?_ But considering that she is neither normal and is barely a patient, she stroke out the thought.

"Well you better fucking figure it out." He chuckled as she glanced at the woman in the shotgun looking confused. "Come on, when was the last time you had some fun?"

"Right." She looked down smiling. She made a mental note to thank him later for trying to cheer her up and for putting up with her behavior lately; for trying to understand her. It was something she missed when he was in a coma. No one could cheer her up better than Johnny Gat.

"Think of something before we reach the boring underground nightclub." He half-sang the words. He had a smirk in his face which mirrored in hers as well. His glasses shimmered in the setting sun.

"Alright, fine." She finally laughed placing her hands over her head as she bit her lower lip. "Head to Freckle Bitch's."

"Really? That's your idea of fun? You used to be better than that." He stretched his arm and reached for head, messing up her hair even more.

"Hey!" She slapped his hands off and ran her fingers through her red hair. "Well, I got to make my stomach happy first. Hospital food sucks!"

"I know, right?" They instantaneously bumped their fists and laughed together as they drove through the empty highway.

Finally, things are starting to look up between them. She was getting tired of fighting with him. He just got back on his feet after six months of sleep and they haven't had a chance to really spend time together like the good old days since then. There are a thousand stories she wants to tell him about.

* * *

The marble statue stood proudly at the center of the grand stairwell, glistened in the purple spot light. A woman with bright purple wings and a demons tail holds a pistol in each hand.

Pierce looked up at the statue's features. It had always reminded him of the Boss although the Boss never really wore such revealing outfits, nor does she have wings or a tail. She didn't even have a purple hair or share the same facial and body features, not even close. When examined, the only thing the two have in common is the love to wield two handguns at a time.

He smiled as he looked up the staircase as he remembered the first time he and Shaundi got inside the Purgatory, which didn't look anything like it is today. It used to be a run-down building which no one would even bother to hang-out in except for the homeless.

_"It's our time now! Let's get this shit started!" _Her voice echoed through the empty halls of what would become the world-famous Purgatory that day, filled with conviction and hope. She stood there regally, just a few inches in front of where the angel statue now stood, with her fist up in the air. Her red hair shone like flame as it reflected the campfire they set up in the middle of the hall. She was the Boss. And right there and then, he knew he would follow the woman through hell and back without question.

_Oh Boss._ He sighed as he turned to the Saints waiting for him to speak up. All the lieutenants are present except for Shaundi and Viola, who seem to have disappeared together, and Gat, who was gone to find the Boss. Someone needed to hold the crew together.

He clapped loudly, getting the crews attention, "'Aight, listen up! You've all heard about the Boss' condition." A few growls of grief was heard from the crowd. "I know, I know. I didn't expect it coming either." He raised his hand to silence them. "But we all know the Boss! She wouldn't want us moping around because we feel bad about her. She would want us to be at our best; To be kickin' ass Third Street style!" A few yells of approval and beer bottles were raised, cheering for the lieutenant.

"So what we gonna do?" The pimp sang, silencing the crowd only for a second.

"We are going to give her the best fuckin' time of her life!" The Saints of the Purgatory roared once more.

"I'm dying in a year, Pierce, not in an hour." He heard a familiar voice and turned and looked up the stairs to see a red-haired woman holding a soft-drink, a straw between her smiling lips. Behind her stood her second-in-command. The whole crowd went completely silent. She slid down the railings and started walking towards him. "So what's the plan? Party with ho assassins again?"

"When the fuck did you get here?" Pierce looked at the woman with wide eyes.

"Mmm... a little after you began your speech." She smiled throwing the empty can behind her. "I was the first one who yelled, you know." She tilted her head up as she laughed, walking away to her room.

"At least you're in a better mood." He turned to Gat, "Hey man, what took you so long?"

"Lady wanted to eat."

"How is she?"

He shrugged, "She's fine."

"Well, did you ask her to get herself treated?"

"She doesn't want to and there's nothing we can do about it." He grabbed the man in his collar, drawing him closer before pushing him away. He's been trying to keep his cool with the Boss all day. "There is nothing we can do but to wait."

Pierce fixed his white suit before speaking up again. "So, what's the plan?"

"Like you said, we gon' give her the best fuckin' time of her life." He gave a wry smile to the Saints lieutenant. "If this is gonna be the last year of her life, we gonna make it the best one."

"I like how you think, man." Pierce tapped his shoulders before taking his leave, walking towards the elevator.

"Where you going?"

"Gonna find Shaundi. We have a big party to plan." His mouth gave the cockiest smile as he entered the elevator. "Oh and, one more thing..." he placed his hand to stop the doors from closing. "Keep the Boss busy. It's supposed to be a surprise."

* * *

A/N: Okay. Comparatively short transitory chapter. I just need something to fill the time gap between the sequence. I don't want to be jumping too far to the future.

Whew, I had to go research on that high heel. Whew. Women and shoes. Heh. I just stumbled across that rose themed heel a few months back and I really liked it. And what I like, the Boss would like for sure. J

I've also been drawing the Boss recently. Well, actually, I draw my Boss a lot in random papers but this is the first time I did it seriously. Notice I changed my avatar? Yeah. Visit my deviantart page and have a look.

I'll be posting more soon, both story and art. Yeah, if you have any requests, I can draw for you. I'm trying to practice so just go ahead and ask anything you want. I can do that for you as a token of gratitude if you: Read and review! (You had that coming.)


	5. 4 - Guilty with Kidnapping and Murder

A/N: Alright, I'm gonna warn you. I'm not used to writing action scenes, but this is Saints Row. And there can't be a story without bloodshed. Well, I did my best. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Guilty with Kidnapping and Murder

She started running the moment she made sure no eyes were on her anymore. She stumbled inside a random room of the Purgatory, kicking the door close lightly as she entered the dark room. She knew every corner and every wall of the Purgatory; she found the doorknob of the bathroom quickly in the dark. She hit the lights with her fist as she locked the door of the bathroom with her free hand before collapsing near the sink. She raised her body, holding the sink as support, and looked at the mirror. Pale skin and teary icy blue eyes greeted her. Beads of sweat crawled down her face as she tried to control her panting. She felt like her insides were burning, twisting, and turning inside out all at the same time.

She covered her gaping mouth with one hand, the other she placed over her stomach. Dots of blood spattered on the mirror in front of her, giving her one bloody reflection. Her knees trembled and were about to give in but she managed to drag herself inside the shower space. She reached for the lever and warm water poured over her head. She knelt on all fours on the cold tiles of the shower, watching water wash away the blood down the drain. The water was soaked red from the blood continuously pouring from her mouth. The sounds of her pain-filled moans was drowned by the pitter-patter of the water.

"Boss, you in there?" She gasped after hearing the knocking and the voice of one of her lieutenant. _Bad timing, Angel. Bad fucking timing, s_he thought as she tried to calm herself.

The wrestler knocked again at the bathroom door, this time louder and faster, "Open the door, Boss! Are you okay in there?"

"Fucking go away!" She managed to choke out before coughing uncontrollably again.

The door handle trembled as the wrestler tried to open it. "Open the door, goddamnit. You wanna die in there?" Before he knew it, the handle was off the door. He gently pushed the door open, only to see the Boss sitting idly in the shower. Her grey hoodie soaked with blood and water. Bloody hand prints were on the sink, the floor, and the walls.

"Told you to go away." She gave a wry bloody smile. She was still breathing heavily. "Why are you even here?"

"It's my room." He was still in shock with what he saw. He almost didn't see the strong and steadfast woman he trained months ago. She looked so weak and so tired, and yet, her eyes didn't lie. She was still that woman the Luchadores feared. "You should get help." He said flatly before turning away from her, about to holler to a couple of Saints passing by outside the room.

"Angel de La Muerte!" She growled lowly, "Don't you dare..." She slowly stood up, leaning at the wall for support, "Don't you dare tell anyone... Don't you even fucking think of telling Gat, or Pierce, or anyone, or I will fucking put a bullet to your fucking head." She taunted weakly, almost in a whisper but her eyes looked at the man coldly.

"And what do you plan on doing?" The brawny man leaned at the doorframe, "Keep pretending to be fine until you drop dead one day?" She looked at him with contempt. "We all know you are strong. And I know you hate being seen as weak or asking for help as much as I do, but don't do this to yourself. Don't shut yourself in." He turned to leave.

She looked down at the flowing water under her feet. Just when she thought he was gone for good, she felt soft towels thrown into her face and the man closing the door he had broken, leaving her alone once more.

* * *

"Oh hey, Boss!" A young Saint chirped at the leader of the gang. The lad examined his Boss who looked so much better than he expected after hearing the rumor that the lady boss is sick. A white sleeveless collared shirt hugged her body, revealing her not-so-curvy form. Purple skinny jeans hanged low on her hips. Her usual Chucks in her feet and black fingerless gloves on both hands. She combed her fingers through her red hair which was still dripping wet. "Looking good today!"

"Do you need anything, kid?"

"Oh, um... Gat was looking for you a while ago. Says you should go up the helipad ASAP."

"Alright." She patted the young blood on the shoulder as she walked away.

She took the elevator up to the rooftop and saw Johnny and Tobias standing beside a Black helicopter. Johnny wore a grey leather jacket over a white shirt. His signature glasses hung in the collar of his shirt. Tobias, on the other hand, still wore his favorite pair of baggy pants, and still wore no shirt.

"Well that kid was fast." Gat said smiling at the woman's direction, "Remind me to promote him later".

"What is this now?" She asked, the slightest bit of confusion in her voice.

Tobias, her personal pilot, placed his favorite headgear over his head and climbed inside the helicopter. "You're going to Steelport, Boss." He said in a husky voice as he started the engine.

"What? No I'm not." She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, you are." Johnny placed his arm over her shoulder and began walking her towards the helicopter; half-walking, half-dragging.

"Why are we going to Steelport?"

"Because I said so?"

"This is kidnapping you know." She pouted and crossed her arms as the helicopter finally took off.

"Yeah, not really my specialty, but-" he winked at her, not really bothering to finish his sentence.

"Murder is more of your forte, huh?" She said almost laughing.

"Damn straight."

"So, you mind telling me why we're going to Steelport?" She went back to her normal cool tone.

He heaved a sigh. She's not gonna stop asking the question unless he answered properly. But he won't anyway, at least for the sake of the surprise Pierce was trying to set-up for her. He needed to buy them some time; a few days at least. "Don't you wanna tour me to your new city?"

"_Our_ new city," she raised her finger, as if correcting him, "Haven't you had enough sight seeing while you were driving the plane over Steelport?" She joked, her lips twisting into a smirk.

"Naw, I was too busy getting shot at. I didn't even had a chance to look out the wind shield." He shared her dark humor, another reason they get along so well.

"Oh. So that's why the plane crashed." They laughed in unison. What used to be a tragedy to both of them has now become just one of the things they will have to laugh about in their free time. The memory felt too distant, as if it happened many years ago. Too long ago for them to care.

* * *

"Welcome to the Saints Penthouse, Johnny," she grinned as she stepped off the helicopter.

"Our HQ isn't a church this time?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Shut the fuck up. There's one nearby." She punched him lightly in the arm. "And also because we just stole this from the Morningstar."

"Fine, fine." He raised both arms in the air as he followed the Boss. "So, where are we going?"

"Oh now, you're asking me that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Come on, what's there to do in this city?"

"Hmm... Thinking..." She cupped her chin, "Oh got it! We should definitely go Genkibowl."

"What?" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's like a game show-"

"I don't do game shows." Gat interjected causing the Boss to frown a little.

"—with murder." She shot him a dangerous look.

"Alright, I'm down." He said almost instantly.

"I thought so."

* * *

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax! And tonight, we have two very special guests, don't we Bobby?"

"That's right, Zach. We are bringing you not one, but two contestants. And these two sure aren't a stranger with murder. It is gonna be a bloodbath for sure tonight at Professor Genki's Super Sparkle Lab."

"So who are we having tonight?"

"Tonight, we have the Stilwater Butcher, the leader of the most notorious gang in the planet, the Third Street Saints, come back to Genki's arena for more murder. Remember her last run? Well, let's see if she can top that."

"With her partner, I bet they can. We have the legendary Johnny Gat grace us his presence after being out of the game for almost six months."

"For a second there, I thought the man was dead."

"I heard he was in coma. Anyway, this is will be his first time in S.E.R.C. and I am sure this is gonna be interesting. These two will be a lethal combination for sure."

"Alright, let's get started! Murder time is fun time!"

The steel doors opened and revealed a blazing hall with blood smeared on its walls. The two announcers' voices rang through the old speakers.

"So we just go in there and shoot everything that moves?" Johnny said with a grin on his face as he checked on his Grave Digger.

She cocked her head to the side. "Yeah. Pretty much. Except pandas."

"Why pandas?"

Their small talk was interrupted by loud battle roars from the other room. Soon a Saints Flow mascot came charging on the two only to be met by bullets.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy this." He chuckled looking down at the fallen mascot.

"Oh, I bet you will." The Boss readied herself with a 45 Shepherd in each hand. "Let's go!"

The two ran into the next chamber, avoiding the sudden flames that shot from the wall.

"As expected, Bobby. These two would be unstoppable." The announcer's voice echoed in the speakers. "Ten consecutive kills in ten seconds! Would you look at that kill streak!"

"These two aren't slowing down any time soon. Johnny Gat here making all heads he sees explode with his grave digger." The announcer's husky voice rang. "And the Butcher performing beat downs on every—Woah! Did you see that? She just suplexed the man!"

"Heh, nothing less from the woman who beat Killbane in Murderbrawl XXXI." The other voice said.

She stood up and brushed the hair falling in her face before looking at the mascot on the ground with a broken neck. She caught a glimpse of Gat who seemed to be enjoying himself across the room, hitting another contender in the face with his free hand.

"Murderbrawl? You did Murderbrawl?!" He suddenly turned to her with a confused look. She just shrugged her shoulders and smiled innocently before running off to the next chamber filled with enemies and traps. He followed closely behind her. "Damn. I should've been there to see that. You wore spandex and shit?" He had his usual smirk on his face.

"Don't push it, Gat." She looked at him before shooting at the enemies about to charge.

Hoards of bloodthirsty mascots came charging, some meeting bullets in their heads or in the nuts, making the Boss laugh darkly.

Gat flipped his grave digger, holding it in its barrel and swung it to an enemy's crotch, making him fall down in pain. He threw the empty shotgun on another mascot's head causing him to stumble backwards to the electric fence.

"You out already?" She gave him a side-ward glance with a cocky smile only to see Gat kicking a guy in the nuts. "Heh, trigger-happy." She pulled the trigger once more only to hear a click from both Shepherds. "Oh shit." She reacted quickly to the enemy charging at her, swiftly twisting her gun in her fingers. The butt of her gun met the nose of the man in the hot dog suit, causing a small spray of blood.

He chuckled as he twisted the neck of a mascot he took a hold of, "Speak for yourself".

She frowned at him, as she holstered both handguns behind her back. She raised her arms in front of her, positioning herself behind Gat, their backs nearly touching. "Ready?"

"Fuck yeah." He cracked his knuckles as he peered over his shoulders meeting the woman's cold eyes.

"Looks like our two contestants finally ran out of bullets. They're gonna have to go through mano-a-mano."

Five more men circled them with a fighting stance, ready to throw a punch at either one of them. After a few seconds of just glaring at each other, a tiger mascot finally came charging at the Boss. She evaded quickly, crouching to the ground before standing up again, her elbow connecting with the tiger's jaw, causing the head gear to fly high in the air. Johnny punched another one in the stomach, making the man cave in from the pain, before landing another blow to the man's spine. The Boss maneuvered her body with ease, avoiding every blow the two mascots try to give her simultaneously. She grinned as she swiftly ducked just in time for one of the mascots to accidentally hit his comrade with a strong right hook, knocking him out. She then went behind the panicked guy and choked him from behind, snapping his neck in the process. Only one more mascot stood before the two.

"Ah, this is the fucking life." Johnny cocked his head to the side, smiling deviously at the last contender.

"Just like old times." She smiled at her second-in-command as they approached the man trembling in fear. Facing two of the most dangerous gangbangers on your own does that to anyone. The poor man closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst.

* * *

Johnny Gat smiled at the woman drinking a cold beer beside him, quite contented with himself for successfully distracting the Boss for the whole day. Besides the fact that he needed to keep her out of Stilwater for a few days for the party, he really missed spending quality time with the Boss. And by quality time, he meant killing.

The Broken Shillelagh was nearly empty and was unusually quiet. A group of middle-aged men in the pool table and a few teenagers hanging out in another, quite oblivious of the presence of the two gangbangers in the bar.

He twirled his scotch one more time as he looked at the woman beside him once more. A few fresh cuts on her face and a band-aid over her eyebrow. Her hands looked swollen under her fingerless gloves. She sported a high pony tail, her long red hair hanging till her waist, curling at the tip. A purple sleeveless jacket and a pair of washout jeans hung from her small frame. She had changed considerably from what he remembered her to be before the events of the Syndicate. For one, she wore more glamorous clothes before the bank heist. She was almost always in high heeled boots and designer trench coats, always ready for an ambush interview or a fan signing. Her red hair was always styled then, mostly by Shaundi. Nails pedicured, eyelashes curled, a typical celebrity; only, she's not a typical celebrity; she's the leader of a powerful and influential gang. He wondered what could've happened in the six months that he was in coma that made her drop the celebrity lifestyle. Maybe she got tired?

Looking further back, the Boss changed quite a lot from being a regular banger from the Saints Row district. Her red hair used to be jet black, at least when he first saw her, and cropped short; just an inch passed her nape. Her short spiked bangs covered her forehead. She usually sported a purple jersey, a tank top, or a hoodie like what she's wearing now, plus some denim jeans or shorts. She wore her ever-present black fingerless gloves since then, which somehow became her signature look. She looked a lot younger then, less stressed, considering that she was just seventeen when Julius and Troy found her and that she's just another Saint, not the leader. She was just another recruit, he often told himself back then. Just another recruit who happened to be exceptionally good at shooting. Who would've thought that five years later, that recruit will be his Boss. _The_ Boss.

A melodic ringing interrupted his thoughts. The Boss calmly reached for her phone and placed it in her ear.

"What?" She said flatly.

"Boss, are you still in Steelport?" Kinzie's voice rang, quite more panicked than she usually were.

"Yeah I'm in Steelport with Gat. Why?"

"Good. You won't believe whose back in town."

"Fuck my life." She sighed as she looked at the man beside her.

"Killbane's back. And Matt Miller's with him."

* * *

A/N: Just to put things in perspective, this story happened after the Save Shaundi decision in Three Way, minus the Gangsta in Space movie, because I don't want celebrity shit. So basically, Killbane escaped and the whole thing with STAG in the end didn't happen... yet.

I just have to bring Killbane and Matty in my story. The thing with Saints Row is that they can make even the villains lovable. Except you Loren, you can go fuck yourself. Just kidding, I am loving your tie.


	6. 5 - The Trap and the Trapped

A/N: Okaaaay, we're diving onto the action parts of the story. Ah, I can't wait to get over this part. I'm better at doing drama, I don't know why I decided to put so many action scenes in it. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Trap and the Trapped

"Kinzie, gather all Saints we have in Steelport, we're going all out."

"Okay, text you the location when I find him." She talked twice as fast as she usually did. Her lieutenant hung up immediately after as if she's in a hurry.

The Boss looked down on her phone again, and started dialing.

"Killbane's in town." She stated over the phone.

"I've been waiting for this. I'm coming." The wrestler's rugged voice replied, full of determination. She hung up and started dialing one more time. She made it a point that if Killbane will somehow return to Steelport, she would call everyone involved to get his or her piece of revenge on him; people who had much more vengeance for the masked wrestler than she did.

"Viola, Killbane's back-"

"I'm on my way." She said almost instantly.

Killbane is nothing but a face in the Syndicate for her. Someone she needs to destroy for the sake of taking the Syndicate down. But these people are different. They basically joined the Saints for a chance to see Killbane dead. Revenge played a major role in the Saints' takeover in Steelport.

She looked down on her phone again to see Kinzie's message.

"Airport. Let's go." She cocked her head sideways.

* * *

"Where is everybody?" Johnny looked out the window of his car to see the empty airstrip as they arrived.

"This doesn't feel right." She pursed her lips. She drew out her phone and started dialing Kinzie's number. "Kinzie, what the-"

_"Hello Butcher" _a raspy voice erupted in her phone's speaker.

"Ah, Eddie," she stressed the name.

_"Now's not the time to be making jokes."_ He chuckled, a hint of annoyance in his voice, _"Aren't you wondering where your little hacker is right now?"_

"Listen, you asshole-" She gritted her teeth.

_"Now isn't the time to be making threats either. You should be more concerned of your own life, actually."_

She looked down on her chest to see several a red dot wandering on it. "Fuckin' snipers. You coward." He burst into a dark laughter before the line was cut off.

"Johnny." She said, not moving a single muscle.

"I know." He said calmly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"Floor it!" she exclaimed as the both ducked under the dashboard. The car spun around, leaving circular skid marks on the airstrip, before accelerating and making a sharp turn towards the nearby hangar. Silenced shots from the snipers rained on them, putting holes on the hood and on the windshield. Gat gripped the handbrake tightly, making them crash inside the hangar. Black smokes came out of the hood, making them both cough as they made their way out of the vehicle.

"You okay?" Johnny brushed the broken glasses off his jacket, and slowly reached for the Krukov sitting idly on the back seat.

"Yeah." She coughed, smiling, "That was some nice driving back there."

"Like you could've done better." He smiled, handing her another Krukov, "We got to clear these mother fuckers out. Any ideas?"

"Yeah, the usual:" she cocked the gun, "Run and shoot like hell."

* * *

It was dark, with only the several computer monitors and gadgets blinking as the source of light. Her vision was all blurry as her eye glasses were knocked off earlier when she was ambushed by some Luchadores. Her hands were tied behind her back. She squirmed on the ground, trying to break free but she wasn't strong enough to break the bonds. She decided to just stay still, feeling somehow hopeless. She heard distant voices from the next room.

"Kiilbane, why did we need to capture Agent Kensington?" His British accent cannot be mistaken especially by Kinzie. He sounded nervous, he tried to laugh, "It's not like she's a threat to us".

_"Matty, your naivety amuses me."_ A voice that sounded like it came from a phone's speaker muttered, _"Yes, by herself, she's nothing but a tiny bug, but her skills, her expertise,"_ The raspy voice erupted into a dark laughter, _"She depends on her too much; She is her eyes and her ears. Without her, the leader of the Saints is just as good as a blind man."_

She felt her spine shudder. Yes, she knew Killbane was right. She had always guided the Boss from behind her monitor. She served as her eyes, warning her on how many enemies are in the room, the layout and escape routes of a place, exact locations and whereabouts of people, anything to make her assaults a lot easier. She never doubted the woman's fighting skills, but somehow, she felt afraid that the Boss might not find her in time. What if these goons kills her first before the Boss finds her location? She prayed the Boss has a good plan.

* * *

"Take this you, motherfucker!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as she pulled the trigger of the Krukov, spraying hundreds of bullets at the Morningstar specialist. The Morningstar's blood splattered on the wall behind him.

The sound of static made her head turn. A young Goth girl in rollerblades skated towards her, a shock hammer on hand, ready to hit her face. Her eyes widened, she had no time react, she closed her eyes and braced for an impact.

The sound of a distant gunshot was followed by an ear-piercing scream of the girl. She opened her eyes to see the Decker on the ground, her hands on her bloody knee. The Boss quickly aimed her gun to the girl's head, instantly ending her misery.

"Nice one, Johnny." She said over her earpiece as she looked over the hangar's roof.

"Yeah, good thing they brought snipers." He chuckled, "I'm loving this McManus."

"Heh, taking this a little too personally?" She reloaded her Krukov as she took cover on the empty Luchadore's truck nearby. She stopped abruptly when she heard the sound of a helicopter whirring, a Gatling gun 's loudly firing overhead, "Shit, they even brought a- "

She looked up to see a silver fleur-de-lis logo under the helicopter's body, shooting at a couple of brutes at the distance. A smile went up her lips.

_"Sorry we're late, Boss!"_ the speakers boomed from the helicopter. _"Viola was taking so long-"_

_"Quit bitching, Angel!"_ a feminine voice went over, _"If you wanted to leave so badly, then you should've swum through the sea!"_

She felt like laughing as she ran towards the descending helicopter. She remembered that her two lieutenants weren't exactly in good terms, but they have the same goal otherwise—revenge. This kind of bonding might just be what they need to bridge the gap.

The gusty wind from the aircraft pushed her body backwards as she approached. She saw Gat running towards them and Angel and Viola stepping down the helicopter.

"Where's Killbane?" Viola said, placing her sunglasses over her eyes, protecting it from the gust.

"Oh. It's a trap, he's got Kinzie." She said flatly.

"What?" The two exclaimed simultaneously.

"We need to find her first if we want to find Killbane." Gat finally caught up, panting as he spoke. "We don't have any idea where that motherfucker is."

"Damn it. How are we gonna find her?" the wrestler rubbed his forehead, "She's always the one who finds the things we need".

"I think I have an idea to find Killbane." The Boss cupped her chin and drew her phone from her pocket, "But we still need to find Kinzie. We don't know for sure if she is with Killbane or if he hid her somewhere else."

"I doubt Killbane's keeping Kinzie with him. He's got to be keeping her somewhere else." The ex-Morningstar spoke shrugging her shoulders, "Typical Syndicate strategy".

The Boss smiled at her lieutenant. This is one of the reasons she hired Viola DeWynter. She gave the Saints another perspective on things. She started dialing, "But first," The group looked at her in silence, waiting to understand what she had in mind, "Hey Oleg, we got a situation." She turned to her lieutenants, "Kinzie's been kidnapped by Killbane. We're gonna need your help."

She ended the call and jammed her phone back to her jeans. "You two come with me." She motioned her hand to Viola and Angel, "We're taking down Killbane". She turned to Gat, "And you're gonna go meet up with Oleg and rescue Kinzie."

"I think I'd do better tracking down Kinzie." Viola appealed, "If Matt's here, chances are, he's the one keeping her", The Boss raised an eyebrow, trying to read the woman's plan, "I can get to him, then we can get to Kinzie."

"You sure you wanna do this?" The Boss looked at her intently. She would be passing the once in a lifetime opportunity to see Killbane's downfall.

She pursed her lips, as if reconsidering her plan, "Just call me when it's over". Besides the fact that she would be far more useful in tracking the Decker's leader down, she had to admit that there's still a certain fear in her heart to face her twin sister's murderer. She was afraid that the sight of him would make her tremble, replaying the scenes of that very day in her head, thus she will be completely useless.

"This is what we should've done before. Let's move!"

* * *

The masked wrestler spun in his chair as he sipped a glass of wine. Victory was at its gates. With the Stilwater Butcher weakened by her condition, and most of the Saints in Stilwater, including most of the lieutenants, Steelport was vulnerable. The leader of the Saints is vulnerable. He had previously planned to assault her in Stilwater, any time she gets isolated from the Saints, but alas, she came to Steelport herself to find danger. And with the hacker on his custody, their leader is blind and can be ambushed by the remaining specialists any time he wishes.

His thoughts were interrupted by the small purple phone melodiously ringing from his desk. He glanced at the caller ID. It says "The Boss". A smile crept on his face as he placed the phone over his ear.

"Ah, glad to hear from you again, Butcher." He said darkly.

_"Hi Eddie!"_ she chirped happily over the phone. _"Your Luchadores are really stupid, aren't they? Trying to mess with me and Gat together? Oh, please"._

"Seems like you're enjoying yourself-"

_"Yeah I am, Eddie."_ She stressed over the name, _"But you know it would've been a lot more fun if you weren't such a pussy and just face me, Eddie"._

"No one calls me that!" He slammed the glass onto the desk, shattering it to pieces. Her laughter was heard from the other line.

_"Let's end this, Eddie"_ she snarled, _"Come face me like a man."_

* * *

The purple Criminal's engine loudly roared as they drove through the streets of Salander, drifting through every turn, meriting angry yells from the pedestrians.

"We can use Kinzie's equipment in her warehouse to track them." Viola said coldly, her fingers tapping on her phone, searching for Miller's number.

"You know how to use them?" Gat glanced at her as he drove.

"Matt taught me some tricks like tracing cellphone calls and stuff when me and my sister were in the Syndicate." She shoved her phone back at her pocket, "Damn it, I can't get through his phone! I really need that computer now."

"What happened to your sister?" He peered over his glasses, totally oblivious of the weight of his statement to the other woman.

"She's..." She fell silent and looked out the window, "I... I don't want to talk about it."

He raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"It's just... It's none of your business." She muttered angrily.

They reached their destination after silent drive. They lifted the steel doors open, and saw the hulking figure of Oleg standing in front of one of the desks. Debris from broken electrical gadgets cluttered the floor.

"They've wrecked the place." He spoke with his Russian accent, "I'm trying to salvage this one laptop Kinzie uses personally," Sparks came from the wires he connected over the beat up device, "She might have some tracking program she uses in here. She kept tabs on Miller even after he flew out of Steelport".

With another spark, the monitor lit up, several command prompts popped up on the screen.

"We in business?" Gat looked up to the Russian giant. He had no idea what was happening on the screen.

Viola shoved herself in front of the Russian, and began typing on the keyboard, "Alright, if I remembered correctly..." Her eyes fixed on the monitor; she looked down the keyboard occasionally. She tried to remember what the young computer whiz had taught her back in the days, "Miller's always on his laptop, if I could just connect to his server, he'll notice us and probably..."

The two looked at her skeptically, wondering if she really knew what she was doing. The screen went black before it lit up again, flashing the words "R4gn0r0k".

"We're in." She smiled for a moment before the screen went black again, causing her to panic. "No, wait, what the hell?"

A message suddenly popped-up on the screen: "Who dares enter the R4gn0r0k?"

She bit her lip and typed, "It's Viola, Matt. Call me. NOW".

She jolted as she felt her phone rang unexpectedly. She looked at the caller and saw the hacker's name. She quickly pressed the call button and answered.

_"Viola?"_ His British accent rang on the phone.

"Matt, is Kinzie with you?" She said as she connected her cell phone to the laptop with a wire and started typing. A progress bar popped-up with the label, "Tracing call".

_"Y-yes, she's with me."_ He may be a professional hacker, but he's still young and immature in many ways. He is easily intimidated by his superiors.

"Is she alright? Tell me where you are! You can't let Killbane manipulate you forever." Viola said coldly.

_"I—I can't. He's gonna kill me."_

"Well, the Boss is gonna kill you if you don't cooperate."

_"Please, Viola. I don't want to do this but I can't bail on Killbane either. He's gonna kill me like-"_

"That's enough." She cut him off. The trace was complete. The location was shown in the screen, "Matt, listen to me. Do not do anything stupid, understood?" She hung up abruptly, cutting whatever the hacker was about to say.

"We got their location, let's get moving."

* * *

A/N: And we go kick Miller's ass next chapter. Keep in touch. :)


	7. 6 - The (ex)Morningstar and the Saint

A/N: Jesus, I hate writing fight scenes. It's too technical and action oriented. Ah, whatever. I did my best. Sorry for the wait, it's a looooong chapter.

* * *

Chapter 6: The (ex)Morningstar and the Saint

Gat drove the purple Criminal as fast as he could, driving on the incoming lane whenever it's free. Viola sat on the shotgun, fixing her high ponytail. Her purple sunglasses rested atop her head and she wore a purple dress shirt and black pants instead of her usual Morningstar outfit. She looked out the window for signs of threat and occasionally looking at the man driving. He wore a plain black shirt, baring his tattooed neck and arm, and khaki pants. His hair slicked back and his tinted glasses covered his eyes. Oleg sat on the trunk silent, still wearing his usual purple turtle neck and white blazer. The whole trip was generally silent, with a few exceptions of Gat asking for directions from Viola and cursing at pedestrians on their way.

They neared the docks and saw a bunch of Saints waiting for them, ready to strike the nearby cargo ship where the trace leads.

Gat slammed the door and walked towards the Saints, "Alright, listen up", his tone imposing, "Job's easy: We go in there and rescue Kinzie Kensington and kill any motherfucker in the way except Matt Miller. Bring him to me. We clear?" He looked at each of their faces, "A'ight, let's do this!"

* * *

It was dark, it smelled like rust and the sea. She looked around and saw the familiar glow of technology reflected on a young man's face.

"Miller!" She exclaimed, making him jump. "Let me go, you punk!"

"Do not yell at me Agent Kensington!" he shot back, "And even if I did let you go, there are hundreds of Luchadores and Deckers outside. You won't even make it ten feet from here."

"Ugh fine, then just cut me loose." She wriggled on the ground, "My back is killing me".

"I am not that stupid, Agent Kensington." He chuckled.

She stopped moving to glare at him, "You're stupid enough to return to Steelport".

He felt nervous. He knew the Boss would come for him. Killbane probably placed him on guard on Kinzie for a reason; for the Boss to find him and kill him, as a revenge for leaving the Syndicate.

He closed his eyes as he heard gunshots fired from outside. The Saints have finally arrived.

* * *

Johnny fired the first shot, spraying the Luchadore's brains on the floor, alerting the whole crew of mixed Deckers, Morningstars, and a few Luchadores guarding the docks.

"Party's over, motherfuckers!" he yelled from the to of his lungs as he squeezed the trigger of his Krukov, letting out hundreds of bullets at a group of Deckers trying to run for cover, only to run into a couple of Saints waiting for them.

A brute came barging out of a crate from the far end of the dock, running dangerously fast towards Gat's direction. A couple of men in black suits and pink ties and women in black trench coats and red corsets followed closely behind the Brute, returning fire to the Saints trying to hold them back.

"The fuck is that?" His eyes widened at the brute. He took a couple of steps back, still shooting at the troupe. He heard a click from his gun and instinctively dropped the empty clip and reached for another from his back.

"Shit." He looked up and realized that the brute was towering over him. His hand high in the air, ready to crush the Saint's body with one descent.

A low grumble came from the brute as Oleg tackled him to the ground. The Russian then began throwing punches to the seemingly helpless brute under him. He didn't stop until the brute's face was unrecognizable with blood and torn flesh.

A Morningstar specialist peeked into his sniper rifle's scope. A young Saint firing at a Decker specialist was in his crosshairs.

"Not so fast, baldy." Viola DeWynter pressed her Uzi at the back of the man's head. The specialist turned to her, with a pocket knife at his hand. The raven-haired woman fired generously at the man, his blood splattering on the steel barrel of his McManus on the ground.

Viola kicked the dead body down from the pile of crates they were on and took hold of the priced sniper rifle, positioning herself where the man previously were. She peered on the scope and began firing at the Morningstars down below. Some Saints even waved at her happily after their path was cleared.

Gat threw his empty Krukov to a Decker and drew out a silver GDHC and shot at the stunned man. The sound of static made him turn his head. It was too late. He raised his bare forearm in defense, only to be met by the shock hammer's electric blast. Electricity ran in his body at the contact, making him fall on his knees and drop his pistol.

He felt immobile and dazed for a moment but regained consciousness before the cyberpunk was able to make another swing, "That fuckin' hurts, you bitch!" he screamed as he drew a butterfly knife from his pocket and stabbed the lady Decker's thigh, making her scream in pain. He pulled down the Decker by the collar and drove the knife into her throat.

"You okay, Boss?" A blonde Saint yelled from a distance.

He looked down on his forearm skeptically. His skin was red with the initial signs of second-degree burns running on it, "Ah shit." He stood up, cradling his arm, "I'm fine... and I'm not your Boss!" He shouted back, "Goddamnit, why do I always get hit on my dominant hand?" he mumbled as he picked up his GDHC with his left hand.

The Saints cleared the remaining Deckers and Morningstars quickly, dominating them with advanced firepower, thanks to STAG. Most of them surrendered after realizing they were losing.

"Shit, there's like a thousand crates in here! How are we gonna find that girl?" Gat frowned as he looked up the multitude of metal containers in the docks. He looked at the Russian who was starting to tear open every door of each container in the dock.

"Well, if we asked nicely..." Viola finally caught up with the two.

Johnny looked up at Oleg, motioning his head to one of the fallen Morningstar who was barely breathing. He took hold of the man's neck and lifted him high in the air, "Where is Kinzie Kensington?" the Russian glowered.

"Man, I don't... I don't know..." The Morningstar clung onto Oleg's arms, choking.

"Yo, he's not gonna ask again." Gat looked up at the man.

"I... It's over there!" He pointed his hand on one of the crates at a distance, "Please don't kill me please-" He was silenced by the sound of his own neck snapping. The Russian giant dropped him on the floor like a ragdoll.

The three lieutenants walked towards the crate casually. Oleg tore the metal door open, shedding some light inside the crate, revealing Kinzie lying on her stomach, hands behind her back and the British hacker sitting on the corner, his arms raised over his head.

"Oh shit. This is embarrassing, being seen like this." Kinzie lifted her head and smiled at the Saints.

"You okay, mousey-one?" the Russian kneeled beside her, ripping the rope with his bare hands.

"Yeah. My back hurts. But I'm fine." She sat up, much to Oleg's relief.

Gat cocked his handgun awkwardly with his left hand, aiming it on the other hacker's face. "Matt Miller, I suppose?" he smiled deviously at the boy shaking in fear.

"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me." Matt covered his face with his arms.

"Gat," Viola stepped forward, putting herself between the two, "He's just a kid..."

"He's a kid who works for Killbane. Move."

"Viola, p-please help me." Matt clutched to her leg like a kid.

"Ugh," Viola shook her leg lightly "Quit being such a baby." She shook her head, turning to Gat, "At least, give him a chance. He's got far too much potential-"

"The Boss already gave him a chance." Oleg interrupted, "And he fucking wasted it!"

He lifted Miller by the neck and pinned him on the wall. "I am not as merciful as she is..."

"Woah!" Gat and Viola exclaimed, shocked at Oleg's sudden outburst.

"Hey man, calm the fuck down."

"Oleg, don't." Viola said in a firm voice.

"You have no right to tell me what to do, Morningstar!" Oleg glared at Viola, making her take a step back. Her mind replayed at the time Killbane snapped her sister's neck. She froze.

"Oleg stop that!" Kinzie yelled, her sweet voice echoed in the container. "Stop that right now... Please?"

He dropped Matt on the floor a few seconds later, "If you say so."

"Come on, I just wanna go home already." Kinzie whispered as Oleg took her up his arms, slowly walking away from the container. "They wrecked my stuff! Did you see?" A soft smile crept on his lips, filled with worry and relief that his little hacker is safe. Kinzie smiled back, relieved that her Russian Superman have calmed down. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes to sleep.

Matt sighed in relief. He ran his fingers through his dark hair and chuckled. It was a close call. For a moment he thought he was gonna end up like Kiki.

"You're not off the hook yet, Matt." Viola looked down at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

Gat placed two fingers in his mouth and blew a high-pitched whistle. Two Saints immediately ran towards them. "Take him to the penthouse" he motioned his hand to the fallen hacker, "You have the right to remain silent and everything you say can be held against you." A smile crept on his lips. Viola and the two Saints tried to hide their laughter, "The Boss will decide your fate later. You have anything to say to her, better start thinking of it now". The two Saints cuffed him and started dragging the struggling hacker into the nearby truck and drove away.

The two lieutenants walked towards the beaten-up purple Criminal parked not far away from the docks.

"Thanks." Viola finally broke the silence.

"What?" Gat raised his eyebrow and looked at her as they walked.

"For sparing Matt."

"I'm not really in the position to kill him. Although I wouldn't mind if the Boss asks me to kill him later." He gave a wry smile to the lady.

"Fair enough." She nodded. They walked in silence for a while before she spoke again, "About my sister-"

"I don't really care."

"What? You were just asking a while ago!"

"Nah, I'm not really interested. Just trying to fill the silence and..." He looked away.

"And?"

"...Trying to know your motives." His face turned more serious, "Hey, can you really blame me for being suspicious?"

"I get it." She looked at him, "Sorry for back then".

She recalled their skirmish at the plane. He put up a good fight then, considering that he fought a group of elite members of the Morningstar, plus Loren, Kiki, and herself, all by himself. For a moment, she thought that they were even going to lose to one man. She closed her eyes as images from the past flashed in her head.

_Guns blazed in the plane's cockpit. Bullets were all flying in all directions. The fight was heated between Loren's personal guards from the Morningstar and the infamous Saints' second-in-command. The Saint was outnumbered, no doubt, but every time he fired his gun, a Morningstar or two falls._

_Viola stood behind the group of Morningstars shooting at the metal door of the cockpit. In her arms was her boss, Philippe Loren, who was bleeding from his eye._

_ "Viola, hurry up and take Loren with you!" Kiki yelled at her as she reloaded her Uzi. Kiki had always been better than her, almost in all aspects. She was tougher, smarter, and even more likable than she was. That's why she was just standing there, supporting Philippe, while her twin sister was fighting the enemy._

_"No! Not without you!" She yelled back._

_"You're gonna need a lot more help than that Frenchy!" the Saint smirked arrogantly, looking directly at them, as he shot three more men down with an Ultimax he swiped from one of the fallen Morningstar._

_"I'm gonna cut that disrespectful tongue from your mouth." Loren stood up, freeing himself from Viola's support. _

_"Boss! What are you-" Viola grabbed his arm and tried pulling him away from the fight, but she couldn't. The man was determined to join in on the battle._

_The leader of the Syndicate drew his priced magnum revolver from the holster in his suit. With one good eye, he aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger._

_Johnny Gat stumbled back at the cockpit, gripping his right shoulder in pain. Blood trickled down his arm and onto his hand which wielded the powerful gun. He kept his hold on the gun, but was unable to use it, let alone lift his arm, to the injury. _

_"Johnny, we're about to jump." The radio transmitter buzzed._

_The Saint looked down the radio and with a crooked smile on his face as if he had won the fight, an expression that shocked and confused Viola; he was sure to die yet he was full of confidence as he stood there. He then looked up to meet the eyes of the Syndicate and its leader, still aiming their guns on him. His eyes fixed on the group of Morningstar and a cocky smile was on his lips as he spoke on the transmitter._

_ "Right on. I'll see you in Stil-" He was cut off by a barrage of gunfires lead by Loren himself._

_Viola sighed in relief as the Saint finally fell in his own pool of blood. At last, they've defeated the enemy._

_"You okay, Vi?" Kiki came over and extended her hand to her sister, "Come on, we better go. This plane won't hold much longer."_

_She nodded, taking her twin's hand. She took one final glance at the man lying on the cockpit. He would've made a fine ally or lieutenant for the Morningstar, she thought to herself as they left the scene._

She opened her eyes once more, reality kicking back. Johnny had every reason to hate her. She's lucky that he hadn't killed her yet after finding out that she now rolls with the Saints.

"It's fine. We're both just doing our jobs. Fighting for our own teams, eh?" He said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wow. I wish Shaundi's that understanding." She chuckled.

"Say, you're Frenchy's right-hand?"

"Ah... Belgian's? No, Kiki's actually his right-hand." She mused, "I'm more of the right-hand's right-hand, but no one really bothers to tell us apart, so we're practically considered as equals by the Syndicate. And you're the Boss' right hand, no doubt?"

"Eh, we never really talked about it, but yeah, something like that." he grinned.

"Now that we're working together, I suppose we should get the past behind us" Viola looked up to meet the Saint's gaze. She doesn't want to get on his bad side after seeing what he's capable of.

"I suppose we should. But if you ever thinking of betraying her, even for a second," His smile suddenly turned dark and twisted, "I'm gonna break your neck."

She froze. His eyes pierced through hers even behind his tinted glasses. It wasn't a threat; it was a promise. She knew he'll do everything in his power to protect her, just as her sister did with Philippe and the whole Morningstar. The image of him with a faint smile on his lips as he lay dying on the plane flashed in her head again. He will kill for her and he will die for her over and over again with pleasure.

The DeWynter twin shivered, stopping at her tracks and letting the man walk ahead of her. "So that's why you're her right hand..." She mumbled to herself.

"Hey, keep up!" Gat yelled still walking towards the vehicle. "I can't drive myself like this!"

"Oh... yeah." She sprinted to catch up with the Boss' right-hand man.

* * *

The Murderbrawl arena lacked the usual noise of the crowd and the bright lights that illuminate the stadium during the fights. It was dark and empty today. A single spotlight focused on the stage is lit for the main event set by the Boss, herself. Today, she fights with Killbane yet again in this very stage, only this time, it's just them; no audiences to cheer or to boo, no announcers to narrate their victories, no referees to enforce the rules.

"You seriously think that will work?" The wrestler looked skeptically at her.

"If there's one thing in common between me and Killbane, it's ego." A smile tugged on her lips, "We don't back down from any challenge. A former gang leader gave me the same invitation."

"And you went to face him?" Angel looked at her with disbelief.

"Yep" She smiled happily, "Oh, and I killed him", she added immediately.

Angel sighed, crossing his arms and leaning to the ringside. Killbane had better show up. As idiotic as the Boss' plan may sound, she did have a point. Killbane will never turn down a challenge.

The sudden sound of engines roaring outside echoed in the Murderbrawl arena.

"Holy. Shit. He did come." Angel looked at the Boss with a smile. She returned a devious smile, shrugging her shoulders as if telling the man, 'I told you so'.

"But it looks like he brought a few friends." She said coldly, hearing loud, angry roars from outside the arena. She drew out her Shepherds, cocking both guns. A smirk went over her face, "Bring it, Killbane!"

* * *

A/N: Holy crap, it's finally done *dances around a bit*. Oh god, next chapter is Killbane chapter. Fight scenes again. Ugh.

Well, leave your reviews. Pretty please! I get discouraged to write when no one reviews my work so please... please, how hard can it be? Read and review!


	8. 7 - The Butcher and the Apocalypse

A/N: Ayt Killbane! I enjoy watching wrestling once in a while so I actually enjoyed writing this. Three full pages of wrestling. Wooo! Here we go!

* * *

Chapter 7: The Butcher and the Apocalypse

"KILLBANE!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Her voice rang all over the arena.

"BUTCHER!" The masked man screamed as he ran towards the ring where the red haired woman stood.

Meanwhile, Angel DeLa Muerte fought the hoards of Luchadores beside the ring. Last time they were in the Muderbrawl arena, he was on the ring with Killbane and the Boss was trying to keep his men away from them. This time, he wanted to return the favor.

An AR-55 in hand, he blasted every Luchadore that came close enough to the ring and snapped the neck every man who came close enough to him. After returning to his top condition after meeting the Saints, any Luchadore is no match for him. The leader of the Saints inspired him so much to crawl out of the hole Killbane shoved him into.

He glanced up the ring once in a while when he's free to watch his Boss fight with the man thrice her size. She was giving him a pretty good fight, as usual. Worry, however, struck him when he remembered her condition. He's ready to intervene if anything happens.

"The Saints legacy ends here. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." She turned at the sound of his rugged voice. There was a dark smile on Killbane's face as he entered the ring. A smile filled with revenge and murderous intent.

She glared at him, trying to size the man up. "I'm gonna unmask you again, Eddie." They circled each other in the ring, stalking like two predators. Her white tank top was already soaked with sweat but they were just getting started. Her black pants and combat boots were all dusty from the stage. She felt more tired than she usually were; she was sick, but regardless, she'll never show any sign of weakness to her enemy. She cocked her head to the side, "Then, I'm gonna kill you and make sure no one will remember you except for the brute who got beaten by a lady".

"No one will remember me?" He chuckled, crackling his fist, "You were a fucking clown, selling energy drinks and lunch boxes. You didn't care about the crowd, just the paycheck. And I changed that."

She frowned. To some degree, it hurt her ears to hear those words from him. The truth of what she had let the Saints become. He just had to rub it in her face. She knew it herself and hated it, regretted it.

_Is that what's this all about?_ Johnny's voice echoed in her mind.

No, this time, it's different. She's changed quite a lot since that day. She had turned the gang around. No more celebrity bullshit from that day onwards. She woke up and the Saints are back where they belonged.

"Mark my words," he took a deep breath, "When these hands are crushing your throat, your dying breath won't be an appeal to God or a message of love to your family; it'll be 'thank you, Killbane'." He extended his hands on his sides.

"I'm gonna enjoy shutting you up." She gritted her teeth.

Killbane charged at her, his fist leveled with her head. She ducked quickly, getting behind him with a smirk on her face. The man turned to her quickly, throwing another jab which connected with her stomach. His strength was overwhelming, but truth be told, he wasn't the first one who threw a punch at her. She stepped back, holding her tummy. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. She wasn't going down that easily.

The Boss ran towards the Luchadores' leader, evading another blow from him and landed her elbow on his kneecap. Killbane let out a groan, dropping on one knee involuntarily. She gave him her strong right hook, then continuously punched him in his face, left and right.

Killbane finally regained his composure and tackled her to the ground. Pinning her to the mat, he landed several blows to her face. Her high cheekbones felt swollen, her nose was broken and bleeding.

"This look suits you well, Saint." Killbane stopped for a second to admire his 'work of art'.

She gave a bloody smile, baring her teeth, and drew a spit to his eye. "Fuck. You."

She pushed him off her while he was distracted. Killbane was still kneeling down. She stood in front of him and raised her leg. With one swift swing, her ankle connected with the wrestler's jaw. She twisted her body again, this time, with more momentum, she swung her legs to his stomach, making it cave in pain. She took a few steps back before running towards Killbane, jumping and going with her current momentum, letting both of her legs fly in the air. Both feet landed on Killbane's face, making the man fall backwards. Her body thumped loudly as she hit the ground.

She panted heavily as she stood up. She turned her back at the fallen man and faced Angel below the ring with a proud smile. She raised her hand over her head, like true victor of a wrestling match.

Angel returned the smile as he punched another Luchadore across the face. But his smile was quickly replaced with worry as he saw a a figure towering behind the Boss, ready to attack.

"Boss!" he screamed.

Before she was about to turn, she felt strong arms around her neck, locking her into a chokehold. Her body was slightly dangling from the taller man's hold.

Angel threw down his opponent and began to make his way to the ring.

"N-no!" she choked out as she held her hand in front of her, asking him to stop. Her lips twisted into a smirk and gave him a thumbs-up.

"That's right Angel dela Muerte, you've already lost to me, so fuck off!"Killbane gritted his teeth as he dragged the red-haired woman to the center of the ring.

She heeled his knee as soon as he stopped moving. The shock made his grip loosen, giving her a chance to break free. She threw another uppercut before running to the ring's corner and climbing it.

A smirk went over her face. Adrenaline pumped into her veins, making her numb to all the injuries she sustained. She stood on top of the post regally and looked down at the wrestler, still disoriented from the punch.

Finally she leapt off the post, throwing her body over the wrestler's back. He suddenly turns to make a reversal, catching her by the neck and lifting her up high before throwing her, back first, on the ground. A low moan escaped her lips as she felt a sharp pain as her shoulder contacted the mat.

"I'm the wrestling legend here! Not you!" He pointed a finger down to her as she coughs, holding her throat.

"I'm... the Boss." She gave him a cocky smile as she raised her middle finger in the air, before lunging up to him, her knee hitting his crotch, making him fall on his knees once more.

She grabbed him on his neck and began hitting him over and over again.

"Walking Apocalypse, my ass!" She continued to punch him in between her words. Blow after blow, Killbane was unable to do anything. He was tired, powerless against the woman who doesn't seem to feel neither exhaustion nor pain. It was unbelievable, this woman. And they say she was sick? How?

She threw one last upper-cut to his jaw before walking behind the kneeling man. She threw one arm over his neck, giving him the very same chokehold he gave her behind her back. Her other hand lingered at the back of his mask. "I don't care who you think you are. Nobody messes with the Saints."

His struggle was very minimal. His body was about to give up.

"Any last words, Killbane?" she whispered in his hear. Her voice was cold with no trace of sympathy to what she is about to do.

"Ngh..." he was unable to speak. Perhaps because of the strong grip of the woman or because he found no words to describe the shame he felt. He kept asking himself how she could possibly do this all. Not just defeating him fair and square, but being able to stand up to every challenge they had thrown at her from the very start. She kept surprising him. Reading her file, she had gone through a lot of things that a would make a normal person crumble. How can she not breakdown from any of this? Instead she grew stronger and stronger until she had become the woman choking the life out of him right now. She was the worthy opponent he had been looking for years now. Somehow, he felt glad he had faced her again.

With one zip, she pulled off the mask that defined his very existence off his face and threw it on the ground. She crushed the mask under her boots.

She placed her other hand over his head, gripping it tightly.

"Thank you, Killbane..." she said in a hushed voice, almost inaudible to everyone, except Killbane and herself. His eyes widened for one second, her last words lingered in his mind.

With one swift move, she twisted his neck and he dropped onto the mat, facedown.

The Walking Apocalypse is dead.

* * *

"Hurry the fuck up!" Gat yelled, tapping his uninjured hand on the dashboard.

"Well, excuse me if I don't drive like a psychopath! You're free to step out of the car, and walk." Viola rolled her eyes as she shifted her gear.

"My grandma drives faster than you." He muttered.

"Shut the fuck up!"she screamed with irritation. "Woah, that's a lot of Luchadore trucks..."

"Fuck it." Gat reached for the Anihilator RPG sitting on the backseat.

"Seriously? You have an RPG on your backseat?" She shot him a look.

"Yeah, I always come prepared." He smiled before leaning out of the car's window with the RPG.

He winced at the recoil of the RPG but a smirk replaced it immediately as he watched chain explosion of the trucks and the Luchadores flying in the air from the massive explosion.

"Let's clear out these motherfuckers before we go in." He said, still grinning like the Cheshire cat.

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Aren't you hurt?"

"What-the-fuck-ever. This is fun!" He laughed manically as he fired to another group of Luchadores circling the Murderbrawl Arena.

She heaved a sigh as she pulled the car to a stop just in front of the main entrance.

* * *

"Boss? Where are you?" Gat hollered inside the dark hallway which leads to the main stage, "Hey Bo—Hey get your hands off me!" A Luchadore attempted to attack the two Saints, only to be met by Gat's right hook instinctively.

"Ow..." He shook his right hand, regretting using his injured hand at the Luchadore."You fuckin' muscle head." He drew his gun with his left hand and repeatedly fired at the Luchadore.

Viola giggled as they continued to walk towards the main hall. A single spotlight from above illuminates the Murderbrawl stage. Standing at the center is the leader of the Third Street Saints. And at her feet was an unmasked Killbane, lying dead. Angel was outside the ring, knocking out the last of the Luchadores in the arena.

"Aw, we missed the show." Gat looked at Viola.

She ignored his remark and walked towards the ring.

"Is he dead?" She climbed over to the stage.

The Boss nodded, her face and clothes were all bloody from their fight. She had calmed down and was just panting. Her injuries from the fight are finally taking toll on her.

Viola stood over Killbane's dead body. She frowned at the man who murdered her sister. She kicked him in his face before she spat on him. For the first time since she joined the Saints, she felt contented.

Johnny made his way to the ring. He looked at Viola's grim expression then down to Killbane's body. It was his first time to see the man the Boss and Pierce often talked about, and he's already dead. The slightest bit of annoyance hit his mind; he would've loved to fight this guy to death.

His gaze shifted to the Boss. Her hand was over her shoulder, eyes were blank but only until their eyes met. She wiped the trickle of blood from her mouth with the back of her hand before she extended her hand towards him, queuing him to come closer.

He slowly walked towards her and reached for her hand, still doubting what she's up to. At the very contact of their palms, she collapsed to his chest.

"Uh... Boss?" Gat looked down at the redhead leaning onto his chest.

"Shh..." She closed her eyes, "Mmm... sleepy... Body hurts... so bad..."

"O-kay..." he whispered, still slightly confused. He placed his other hand over her head, stroking her hair unconsciously. She's so much like a kid sometimes, just doing whatever she wants.

A sudden flash of light made him snap out of his thoughts. He looked to his side to see Viola holding her camera phone up, a wide grin on her face.

"Shaundi's gonna love this." She exclaimed as she clicked on her phone. "Aaand... Sent!"

Angel burst into laughter as he leaned onto the ringside. Gat was speechless, blinking in confusion. And the Boss was still leaning over her right-hand's chest, already off to dream world.

* * *

A/N: Killbane's dead! Hooray! Got to make the ending a little lighter since the first part of the chap is so heavy with fight scenes and stuff. You know kinda how you balance a good painting?

Yay! Anyway, I'd like to shout out to my beautiful and handsome reviewers! I can't mention you all but I really do appreciate you guys taking time to review, and I try to reply to each and everyone of you, unless anonymous. Really, thank you! You don't know how good it is to wake up to read reviews. A simple 'good job' can make my day actually. If you leave a review just saying that, I'm okay with it and would treasure it as well.

Read and review, people!


	9. 8 - About drugs and boats

A/N: Ahhh... finally done with the action packed parts of the story. Well, actually not yet, but we'll be taking a break from it.

* * *

Chapter 8: About drugs and boats

She forced her eyes open to wake herself up from the bad dream she was having. But was soon as she woke up, she had already forgotten what it was about.

"Typical." she muttered as she rubbed her forehead, wondering what she had just dreamed about. She always forgets what she dreams about.

The white ceiling above greeted her. A monotonous beeping sound filled her ears. That particular smell of unusual cleanliness and sanitation ran onto her nose. She didn't have to look to know where she was.

She sighed. "Hospitals... myyyy favorite."

She sat up on the white hospital bed, wincing at the pain in her ribs, pulling off the clean sheets that covered her feet. Her knees and shins were neatly bandaged. She looked down on her body and arms to see more bandages. One of her arms were on casts, the other heavily bandaged 'till the knuckles. She lifted the hospital gown top, revealing her black bra over her nearly flat chest. A few bruises over her stomach, the remnants of her fight with Killbane, and some old scars from all her previous adventures.

The door swung open and Johnny walked in with his phone over his ear. A few bandages were on his face and on his fingers. His right arm was bandaged, as well.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine..." He muttered, "That wasn't my fucking fault, okay?" He finally noticed her presence, "Oh, she's awake. Gotta go." He jammed the phone on his pocket.

"Heeey." She smiled at the man walking towards her bed. The drugs they injected to her veins made her felt mushy at the moment. Her head was spinning, but she felt good. Morphine instantly made everything around her so amusing.

"Hey." He smiled lazily as he sat on the foot of the bed, "I know you're tired of hearing this lately but, how are you feeling?"

She looked up at the ceiling, "I feel... gooood. Shoulder hurts a little, a little dizzy probably from the drugs... I feel so high." She bit her lip, "Irritated by that beeping sound."

Gat laughed at her comment, "Want me to shoot it?"

The Boss laughed as well. She stopped as she her gaze fell upon Johnny's arm.

"Happened to your hand?" She tilted her head.

"Oh..." he lifted his bandaged forearm, "Shock hammer." He gave her a wry smile. "Don't worry about me, I'm not the one with the brain tumor."

She pouted her lips cutely, "What do you mean, 'Don't worry'? You're so reckless all the time."

"If you hadn't noticed, I'm not the one lying in a hospital bed full of bandages," He looked at a distance, "You're not really in the position to tell me that."

He felt worried for her. The moment he saw her standing idly on the ring, he knew something's up. The woman will never admit she's in pain and will never show any sign of it. She's prideful like that and that made him worry more. Of course, he would also never admit he worries too much about her, but it shows though.

The white door swung open again. The both looked at the door as Shaundi strutted in the room. She wore a purple mini-skirt instead of her usual leggings. Her black jacket was over a white top. Her high heels tapped noisily on the floor.

"Boss, are you okay?" She said exasperated.

"I'm fuckin' peachy." She grinned.

"Ugh! Why did you let him hit you on the face!" She exclaimed eyeing the bandage over her broken nose, along with the cuts and bruises all over her pale face. "Heck! Why did you let him hit you anywhere! How you gonna look great on a dress now?"

The Boss bowed down her head, pouting her lips, "Sorry, Shaundi..."

Her expression softened at the sight of the Boss, "Aww... You're too cute when you're baked." She jumped on the bed and hugged her tightly.

Johnny eyed her, "Hey don't hug her too tight-"

"Oh Johnny, don't get jealous." She winked at him making him blush a little, "If you wanna hug her, just hug her." She pulled away from the redhead to stroke her hair, "If you like her, you should make your move already..."

"Shut up." He turned to leave, "You... should let her rest for now."

The Boss sat there, still dazed as Shaundi braided her long hair. "Where'd Johnny go?"

"Ugh..." she shook her head, "Seriously Boss, how long do you two plan to dance around?"

"What?" She blinked, not understanding a word her lieutenant said.

"Never mind." She sighed, "What did I expect? You're a fuckin' lightweight. You won't even remember this conversation tomorrow."

* * *

_Three week later._

"Hey Boss, we have a surprise for you." Johnny greeted her as she stepped out of the elevator of the penthouse.

She raised her eyebrow as her eyes wandered at the interior of the penthouse. Her eyes widened when the black and bright blue among the sea of purple. Her lips twisted into a wicked smile as she began to ran towards the young Brit sitting behind the couch with a few Saints.

"Matty!" She jumped over the couch and dropped next to the hacker.

A few Saints snickered at Matt's reaction to the Boss. The hacker looked at the lady nervously.

"So... Are my Saint's treating you well?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... Yes, I guess." He looked down. His hands were fidgety without his laptop.

"What do you mean, 'I guess'? Are the boys starving you?" She hit the back of his head lightly, still beaming, "Are you ready to bargain for your life? I'm all ears."

He stood up abruptly, "Please don't kill me!"

"Hey, sit down, punk!" Johnny sat down to a chair opposite them. He glared at the youngster, making him fall onto his seat.

"You gotta do better than that, kid." She placed and arm over his shoulder and leaned onto him seductively, making him even more nervous. She whispered in his ear, "Come on, you come highly recommended by Viola and Kinz. What do have to offer?"

She gave a sideward glance at Johnny, sipping a glass of vodka, watching her with amusement as she made fun of the much younger teen. She gave him a wink and he tapped his fingers on the glass. Working with each other for such a long time granted them an exclusive and instant understanding with even the slightest eye movements. Almost like mental telepathy, as some of the Saints suggests.

"I... I don't know. What do you want? I can hack to anything and give you anything you want! Businesses, weapons, whatever you're into!" He had to go all out on bargaining. It's one thing to be threatened in his cyberspace where he's miles away hidden in his den and to be threatened face-to-face with the Boss, herself. "Anything, just don't kill me."

"Hmm..." She pulled away from him, "How do you feel about joining the Saints?"

"What?" He looked at her with confusion.

"The Saints could use your talents. Kinzie would be delighted to have you as an assistant." She looked at her second for approval.

"I... I guess..." He looked down.

"Come on, Killbane's dead. Do you even have anywhere to go, kid?" Her expression softened.

"Not really." His hands fidgeted again, "Killbane wrecked my stuff back in London when he kidnapped me".

"Kidnapped you? That bastard!" She tried to hide her laughter, "Join the Saints and make yourself useful for once. We'll keep you safe. Whaddya say?" She elbowed him, making him jerk.

"Alright." He finally said.

"Good choice." She stood up and began walking towards the elevator, Gat following behind her. "Welcome to the Saints. Now get some purple on you."

"I'm alive..." Matt mumbled to himself. He stood up and faced the elevator about to close, "Thank you, Boss!" The Brit raised his hand into a salute. The Boss only nodded as the elevator slid close completely.

* * *

"You're too nice, you know that?" Gat looked down at the woman.

"Eh, he's no use to us dead." She shrugged her shoulders.

A brief silence ensued before she spoke again. "Besides, I feel bad killing someone so young and with so much potential."

"Ah, there's the real reason." He leaned over the mirror walls of the elevator, looking at her reflection. "You see yourself in him seven years ago."

She wanted to help people just as Julius had helped her years before. When he picked her up from the streets, saved her miserable life and gave her a new one, she knew that someday, she wanted to give the same chance to someone. A chance to change, no matter what life you had lived before - forgiveness.

"Everybody deserves another chance." She said flatly.

"Thought you already gave him one back then?" he raised an eyebrow.

"And he fled Steelport just as he promised until Killbane came back for him to trace me."

Gat sighed as he looked up the numbers blinking on top of the door.

"You don't trust him?"

"I don't trust anyone anymore." He said flatly. "Do you?"

"Geez, after I got blew up by my own boss," she chuckled, shaking her head, "I trust my people. Just not the way that I used to trust back then."

"Do you..." she bit her lip, "...trust me?"

He finally looked at her. Her cool blue eyes waiting for an answer. "With my life."

Her face softened, eyes glistening, lips curling into that familiar smile she rarely shows. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to.

He stared at her expression, every feature in her face. She loved to smirk, to grin, to smile like the devil she was, but she rarely show the most beautiful smile she had. A warm, angelic smile that no one would expect to come from someone like her.

The loud 'ding' from the elevator opened the door and her expression faded away to her usual cold stare.

"Trust me on this, Gat." She walked out of the elevator ahead of him.

* * *

"Shaundi, seriously, tell me what's going on." The Boss crossed her arms as she sat down in front of the full body mirror in front of her. A female attendant with a black shirt that reads: 'Image as Designed' pulled off her pony tail, letting her long red hair drop down to her waist. "I don't like surprises."

"Oh come on, Boss" Shaundi swayed her hips as she walked over her, "Can't I take a girl friend out for an ambush make-over?"

"If it was any other girl friend, I wouldn't really care." She rolled her eyes. "Just spit it—Oh Lord Jesus..." the redhead gasped as the attendant cut a portion of her hair, just below her shoulder.

The attendant suddenly grew a couple of shades paler than she was.

"Boss! It's just a haircut." Shaundi threw her arms in the air. "She just trying to style your boring straight hair. Come on, it'll be great." She patted her shoulder.

"How reassuring..." she glared at her reflection as the woman smiled nervously behind her. The Boss sighed in defeat, looking down at the long red strands on the floor, "Oh, well I was planning to cut it myself one of these days anyway. And it's free, so I can't really complain."

Shaundi gave her a huge smile. "See? Saved you from the trouble. You're gonna look so pretty."

She looked up the wall clock. It was three in the afternoon. "Oh crap, we better hurry if we don't want to be late." Shaundi took out a small box from the drawer beside her.

"Late for what?" The Boss tried to peek at the contents of the box.

"It's a surprise, don't ask." She drew out a small vial from the box and turned to face the lady. "I know you hate make-ups but I'm gonna do it anyway. Try not to move too much, got it?"

"I hate you." She pursed her lips as her lieutenant began spreading liquid foundation on her face, covering the small scars she had over her eyebrow.

"Love you too, Boss." She said flatly as she reached for the eye-shadow.

* * *

Viola stepped out of her Temptress. She was clad in a dark purple off-the-shoulder cocktail dress. Her hair was down in a half-ponytail. Heads turned as she walked inside the building of Image as Designed.

"Shaundi, I brought your stuffs." She took off her sunglasses as she walked inside the white room.

"Oh good, you're here." Shaundi wiped the sweat over her forehead, "Go help the Boss get dressed before she wrecks it. Gonna get dressed."

"Oh so you two are girl friends now?" The Boss peeked over the curtain.

"Shut up!" the two lieutenants exclaimed simultaneously making the red-head laugh even more.

Shaundi took the paper bag off Viola's hand and paced towards the changing room, mumbling silently.

"Viola, little help here?" the Boss said. "I just can't zip this thing."

"Oh..." She placed her hand over her bare back and pulled the tiny zipper up. "There, all set."

The Boss stepped out and stood in front of the full body mirror.

"Woah..." she ran her fingers on her side bangs, ends slightly curled. Her red hair was significantly shorter than usual and was curled in a low ponytail to the side, all held by a black rose-shaped clip. A silky black tube dress hugged her slim body tightly, only ceasing a few inches above her knee. A choker wrapped itself around her neck. She wore her favorite pair of leather boots, the only thing seemingly out of place in her perfect outfit.

"Nuh-uh, Boss," Shaundi came out in a baby pink halter top cocktail dress on a pair of matching platform heels. "You're not wearing boots to my party."

"Wow you're fast..."

"Yeah, especially because we bought these just for you." Viola exclaimed as she took out a shoe box from a paper bag.

"What the fu-" she opened the box revealing a pair of rose-themed stilettos. "Holy-fucking-shit. How did you-"

"We bought it while you were gone." Shaundi placed her arm over the Boss' shoulders.

"Yeah, we had to fight a handful of socialites and their bodyguards for that." Viola winked.

"They were no match for us." The two lieutenants high-fived, much to their boss' surprise.

"Wow. You two are really friends now." She chuckled, "Told you, you'd get along."

The two ladies frowned at her.

"Hurry up and wear it. We're gonna be late." Shaundi crossed her arm.

"Yes ma'am." She said nonchalantly.

* * *

It was around six o'clock in the afternoon.

The light fought the darkness back in the skies of Stilwater. A losing game for the light of the sun, but still, it made such a beautiful view. The purplish heavens grew dark every second.

All heads turned to look up in awe when bright colors burst into the sky, lighting the dark heavens. Magnificent firework flared up in the sky like it was the fourth of July. It isn't. But the Saints are going to have one hell of a night which merits the fireworks.

"Wow." The leader of the Saints was no exception, she was easily amazed by things like these. She lifted her head out of the Temptress to take a better look, her pony tail dancing with the wind.

"Boss, sit down, you're gonna mess up your hair." Viola chuckled.

"No." she ignored her, "Just a sec."

"Come on, you're gonna have all night stare at those." Shaundi pulled her in.

"Really?" she asked happily.

"Uh... don't ask."

* * *

Loud music boomed at the Marina. The whole place seemed jumping at every beat from the massive stereo. Even people on the street felt like dancing.

The Marina was drenched with purple. Tonight, they own the place.

"Holy-motherfuckin-shit." The Boss leapt out of the car excitedly. "This our party?"

"Nope." She turned to find the voice, "This is _your _party."

"Pierce!" she walked towards her lieutenant in a white suit, "Err... sorry I didn't call you for Killbane."

"Daaaamn. Those are some nice shoes..."

She tilted her head, placing both hands over her hips as she sighed.

"Naw, it's okay. It's actually good you didn't call." He threw an arm over her shoulder and began walking, "It bought me more time to prepare for this awesome party."

"Oooh... this your big surprise for me?" She leaned over to him.

"Damn right."

"I don't really get it. Aren't you supposed to party after I die?" She mused. "You know, dance around the street because your cruel boss is down."

"Boss, don't even go there." Pierce looked down at her with hurt eyes. "You know I love you."

"Ahh I'm just kidding." She elbowed him, "But don't actually do it. I'll haunt you in your sleep if you do that."

"Damn." He chuckled.

Her eyes widened when she saw the massive cruise ship docked. It was all lit up with purple lights and decors. The ship was alive with people dancing and drinking on-board.

"A boat." She said flatly, "A fuckin' boat."

"Yeah, we figured you'd like it." Shaundi caught up with them, swaying her hips as she walked. "Don't worry, we checked for explosives."

"Very funny." She chuckled.

"Let's get this party started!" Pierce lifted his hand on the air.

* * *

A/N: Weeeee. Sorta feeler chapter for the next story arc.

I swear, every time I have my hair cut, I feel like crying. I mean, it takes so long for hair to grow long and when you see it on the floor, it's just so sad.

Reviews are always welcome!


	10. 9 - Shots and fireworks

A/N: Light and fluffly chapters coming up. Brace yourselves.

Shit I am definitely sorry for those who read this the night before and who saw "hr"'s everywhere. hr is actually an html tag to generate a line break or that line I use for divisions. Somehow FF didn't show it properly and disregarded the tag. I apologize for your inconvenience.

* * *

Chapter 9: Shots and fireworks

The cruise ship was a purple nightclub without a ceiling or a roof.

She hated parties and social gatherings. Not that she hated drinking or dancing, but she hated talking to everyone. But since this party is made especially for her, she tried her best to entertain everyone trying to talk to her. Besides, this might be their last chance to really have fun with the Boss. With her unpredictable condition, she might just slip into a coma the next day. Everyone wanted a piece of her. To at least tell her that they were there for her.

Several "We will miss you"s, body shots, and toasts later, The Boss was finally able to sit down in one of the couches on the sundeck turned pub by the drunk Saints dancing around with scantily clothed women.

The Boss sighed as watched one of the girls skillfully weave her body to the makeshift stripper pole nearby.

"You know I still don't know whether you swing both ways or if you swing at all." The autotune sang making her roll her eyes. "And I'm afraid that you might die without me even knowing."

"I do whatever the fuck I want, Z" she leaned back at the sofa. "And I'm straight by the way. I just like watching strippers dance."

"You are a weirdo..." he sang as a girl in a purple bikini sat on his lap and handed him a beer.

"Heh, speak for yourself, pony cart." She teased.

"Can't you forget about that already?" He stroke the girl's blonde hair.

The Boss laughed, throwing her head back, remembering her lieutenant's feat.

The blonde leaned towards her suggestively, "Would you want a drink, Boss?"

"Scotch."

"Got it." She whispered. She stood up and walked over the bar, leaning sexily over the counter.

"You should take advantage of things while you are it. Have fun while you still can." Zimos sang out of the blue.

"With that voice, I can't really take anything you say seriously." She let out a dry laugh.

"I know you can't but just hear me out." The blonde returned with a bottle of scotch and a glass at hand, pouring on it. "If you want to do something, do it now."

She took a sip, letting it burn in her throat. "I can't really leave the Saints alone as long as I'm alive. See how Killbane returned when we least expected him to?"

"But you are dying." She can't tell if he was supposed to sound angry or sad due to his autotune, "There's more to life than just gang banging. You deserve a break from all this shit." She raised her eyebrow, "The Saints can handle your city. Don't worry about us. Do what you want to do for once."

"What I want to do..." she looked down at her drink. "What do I want to do?"

"Think about it, Boss." The old pimp sang as he stood up with the blonde chick under his arm.

She poured herself some more alcohol, drinking half a glass of scotch in one go. She sank deep in her thoughts again.

* * *

"SHOT! SHOT! SHOT!" the crowd chanted with excitement. Bets flying around in the sea of purple surrounding Pierce and the Boss at the bar.

"Give... it up, Boooss." Pierce waved her hands in the air. "You're a fuckin' lightweight and we all know that."

"Naaaw..." she slurred. "You. Are. Going down..."

Shaundi handed the two yet another glass as she leaned on the bar counter with a grin on her face.

"Okay... time for Q and A:" Shaundi raised her hand in the air to silence the crowd, "How many lieutenants does the Saints currently have?"

"Niiiine!" Pierce yelled as the crowd cheered once more.

"Waitwaitwait—wait the fuck up!" The Boss raised both hands in the air as she stood, "It's only eight. Because Johnny's my second-in-command and that's not the same as lieutenant."

"What-the-fuck-ever that's the same thing." Pierce protested.

"Nu-uh." She tilted her head back as she drank. Shaundi laughed behind the bar. "I'm the boss. I say who's what."

"Naw..." Pierce spun clumsily, "You're... you're a fu-" Pierce blacked out, causing him to collapse to the Saints behind him as they cheered.

"Who's the fuckin' lightweight now, huh?" She pumped up her fist, victorious, as she clumsily walked to her Saints, giving them high-fives.

"Nice one, Boss!" Shaundi patted her shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

She flashed her a smile as she started to dance to the beat of the music. Her head was already spinning but her rhythm made her want to dance so badly even though her feet ached already. Alcohol flowed into her veins, fueling her to shake her body like she never did before.

* * *

After an hour or so of owning the dance floor and singing karaoke to her hearts content, her legs finally felt like giving in. She sat down in one of the recliners near the rear of the ship. It was more peaceful back there, but the roar of the crowd from the deck can still be heard.

The cold night breeze made her bare back shiver.

"Having fun?"

She turned to see her right-hand in a jet black suit. His purple tie was hanging loosely from his neck. He had a drink in his hand and a smirk on his face. He looked dashing with his hair slicked back.

"You bet!" She chuckled eyeing the man walking towards her.

Gat sat down opposite her as he took another swig. They sat there just staring at each other for moments.

"Did you do something with-" his lips curled into a smile

"Shaundi cut it. Well, she ordered it." She stopped him. She couldn't help but to mimic his smile.

"You look... great."

"Uh... thanks." She looked down, suddenly feeling awkward to meet his gaze.

They were silent again for a minute or two. He finished his drink and continued to stare at her as she looked up at the stars above them.

"Zimos told me..." she broke the silence, "that I should do stuffs I want to do from now on."

"He's right. You should definitely." He said, "What do you have in mind?"

"That's the problem," she kept her head tilted up, "I don't know what I want. I never thought about anything else for a long time except for gang banging and taking over the city."

He didn't know what to say. He kept silent.

"I guess I'm too preoccupied with being the leader of the Saints that I never really paid attention to the outside world." She smiled, almost looking apologetic. "My goals and dreams revolved around the Saints. But now that Z pointed it out... I don't know."

Gat rubbed his forehead. Yes, she's definitely confused right now, not to mention drunk and that's the only reason she speaking up. _Think. Think of something._ he scolded himself in his head. _Why am I so speechless at times like these?_

"God, I don't even know what I want for Christmas when I was seven." She continued, "In fact, I don't really know what I want in life. I didn't even have an ambition! I just jumped on the first train that came which happened to be the Saint."

"What do you want to do?" Gat sighed, "I mean, right now. What's the first thing that pops into your mind?"

She blinked a few times before really thinking about it. She looked around to find something she might want to do. Nothing. She looked down her aching feet.

"I want to take these off because my feet hurts." She pointed down her heels. "I can't figure out how Shaundi put those on my feet and I can't really move freely with this dress."

"You make the stupidest requests, you know that?" he chuckled as he reach for her foot, putting it over his knee.

"Hey, what the..." she blushed as she felt his fingers move under the laces of her shoes, slowly untying it. He took the rose heels off her sole gingerly, tickling her unintentionally. He set the designer heel beside him and lifted her other foot to do the same.

"Feeling better?" her feet still lying on his lap. He placed his hand over the sole of her feet and began massaging it lightly.

"Ugh yeah. So much better. Thanks." She smiled sheepishly.

"What else do you want to do?" Gat smiled as he set her foot down making her frown a bit. "Tell me and whatever want, I'll try help you grant it. I'll go with you wherever you wanna go. But no ridiculous, impossible requests."

"Damn. Well..." she looked up in the sky again, before standing up, "I wanna get off this ship. Boats really freak me out, to be honest."

"Uh-huh, let's work on that." He picked up her heels and walked beside her. "And then?"

"I want..." she spun on her bare toes, "to watch the fireworks again once we get down from here."

"Fireworks, huh?" He raised an eyebrow and she nodded. "Hey!" he called out to a group of Saints in the lower deck, "Boss wants fireworks so set up the motherfuckin' fireworks right now!"

The Saints scrambled after nodding and disappeared into one of the cabins.

"There. Your request is in progress." He smiled at her. She laughed as she hugged his arm and leaned onto him as they walked.

"Oh I remembered something I wanna do." Her eyes suddenly widened in excitement.

"Shoot."

"I've always wanted to go to the beach at night." She beamed.

"Why?"

"Don't fucking ask why! You told me you'd go with me wherever." She puffed her cheeks making him laugh.

He sighed. "Right. To the beach then, madam. At around eleven PM. While I am in a suit and you're barefoot in a skimpy dress."

"Perfection." She exclaimed.

* * *

"Anyone seen the Boss?" Shaundi said.

"Uh, haven't seen her." Kinzie said as she sipped on her glass of champagne. "Want me to trace her?"

"No, it's okay. She probably bailed already or passed out somewhere." Shaundi twirled her hair.

"Um... She was at the deck with Gat a while ago." A passing Saint interrupted, "Asked me to set up the fireworks."

"Hmm..." Shaundi smiled inwardly as she drank her champagne.

"What is it?" the hacker looked at her skeptically.

"Oh nothing. I just have the strangest feeling that this night is gonna turn out better than I've expected." She mused.

* * *

The sound of the waves gently crashing on the rock border was soothing. The night breeze brushed over her body. It was cold, but the cold made her feel better. The full moon shone brightly in the dark sky.

She lied down on her back with only Gat's coat protecting her bare back from the cold sand. She let her red hair loose and sprawled out in the sand. She stretched her long legs freely, raking the fine grains of sand with her toes. The feeling of the sand between her toes made her smile. She looked up the dark sky, with anticipation for her fireworks.

Thousand of thoughts ran on her head. Memories of when she was a kid. The things that she tried to store in her head to remember when she grew up. _When I grow up, I wanna..._ Things she have forgotten already because she was too busy with her killing spree and revenge schemes. Now that they mentioned it, decade old thoughts of the things she swore she wanted to do popped on her head as she lied down under the dark night sky.

Johnny sat beside her. He looked at the sea and it made him dizzy, but alcohol was more to blame for that. He looked down at his boss occasionally to see what she was doing. He wondered what she thought about. If he could only read her mind like some of the Saints thought, it would have saved him a lot of trouble.

She gasped as the sky lit with purple lights. Colors burst one after the other, lighting up the night sky. The loud boom from the fireworks and the faint sound of cheering from the ship can be heard all the way here. Seeing the sky burst with colors instantly put a smile on her face.

"When I was a kid..." she kept her eyes on the sky. Gat looked at her with anticipation. She might just tell him something about herself, which she never did before.

"When I was a kid, I traveled a lot from one foster home to another because I was such a delinquent." She smiled and look at her second-in-command. "What? Why do you look so surprised?"

"Uh, nothing. You just never told me anything about you until now and we've known each other like forever already." Gat said nonchalantly. "Go on."

"I was at foster home all my life, there's not much good to tell." She smiled, "One of my foster families lived near Santa Maria beach".

"Where?" he frowned hearing the unfamiliar name of the place.

"It's not in Stilwater or Steelport. It's in Los Santos. I lived in San Andreas once upon a time."

"Wow. Really?" He smiled, a little bit too happy that she had told him something about her past which she never wanted to expose to anybody. Everyone was curious about her past just because she'd never say her name. Even to him who had been with her all those years before she's the leader.

"Yeah really." She sat up and dusted her clothes. "Santa Maria. White sand beach. Crystal clear water. Tall coconut trees. The yacht harbor. The downhill road. The everyday bazaar." She spoke dreamily, "And..."

"And?"

"There's a ferry's wheel." She looked at him sternly.

"Ferry's wheel?" he raised an eyebrow.

"It's the first thing you'll see when you go to Santa Maria. It can be seen from my foster parent's house." She hugged her knees and hid her face. "They never let me out though and I never got a chance to even get near it. And so, I wanna go there." She blushed, hearing her own childish request. "Ride the ferry. Just this once."

"Alright." He sighed. "Let's go there."

"Really?" she lifted her head. Her eyes were gleaming with joy.

"Yeah. I told you I'd go with you wherever you like." He smiled. "Let's go there next week or something."

"But the Saints-" she stopped, suddenly remembering her responsibilities. She had always been an active leader. Leading from the front lines unlike Julius. Leaving them is never a choice for her.

"Fuck the Saints. You and I need a vacation away from all these." Gat said flatly surprising her. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Guess your right." She began to smile again.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this chapter took long. I was kinda busy as my brain was cooking up another weird idea for a fanfic so watch out for that too. But I'll probably finish this story first before I launch it.

Have you played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the one they claim Saints Row copied itself from? Well, I'll tell you, there are a lot of references they did on it. I mean Los Santos freakin' translates to The Saints. Replaying GTA:SA after I played SR2 gave me a lot of "I see what you did there Saints Row"-moments. Well, I love them both very much in different ways so I figured I'd let the Boss visit one of my favorite spots in Los Santos – Santa Maria Beach. Go Google it if you wanna see how it looks like. It is beautiful and I can't wait to see it in HD in GTA V.

Read and review!


	11. 10 - Departures and Arrivals

A/N: If you think I don't put effort into writing this chapter, you are wrong. I came all the way to play GTA:SA which I hadn't played for a long time since I was playing Assassin's Creed recently. The controls of those two games are worlds apart and might I just say, a lot of innocent people got shot because I tried to sprint the AC way. And also I suck at driving in SA now and Santa Maria Beach is really far from my last save point. *sigh* Imagine how many cars and people I rammed into. But anyway, I just have to revisit that pretty beach so I can write descriptions properly this chapter. This won't be a crossover fic tho, don't worry for those who don't know GTA:SA. I'll just spend a chapter or two in it because... I want to.

* * *

Chapter 10: Departures and Arrivals

_1:00 PM - The Saints Penthouse, Sunset Park, Steelport_

"Um, Boss, here are your plane tickets." Matt handed her a small envelope, "Stilwater Airlines, Departure: 8AM Arrival: 1PM; I booked first-class. And I've also arranged the hotel, a car, and some guns to wait for you there when you arrive."

"Good job, Matty." She patted the Ex-Decker's shoulder. "I knew I could count on you."

"Uh It's a really simple task, really. I didn't even have to hack or anything. I just called the airport and some guys in the city." He scratched his head feeling embarrassed. The former Deckers leader now sports a black trench coat, minus all the flashy blue lights, and some designer jeans with a touch of purple. A fleur-de-lis pin is on his collar to signify him being a Saint. "Honestly, Pierce could've done it himself if he tried."

She smiled at the young Brit, "If I asked Pierce to do it for me, I'd still be talking to him."

"Hey Miller, you better not have rigged that plane to blow or something or you're gonna be collecting your brains from the carpet." Shaundi crossed her arms as she stood behind the Boss.

"Wha—I didn't even-"

"Relax, you two." She sipped her coffee casually, "Matt, won't do that, won't you?" She gave him her death glare causing him to stiffen.

"Ah yes. Of course."

"Boss, why do we even keep this guy?" Shaundi leaned over the couch.

"Because I need a skillful personal assistant who doesn't bitch around and who doesn't poke around my personal business too much." The Boss set down her cup, "My lieutenants scale from being nosy to 'excuse me while I perform this cavity check.' You have any idea how that feels, Shaundi?"

Matt tried to hide his laughter as Shaundi gasped at the Boss's comment. "Besides, I need someone to fix my phone really quickly without scolding me when I accidentally throw it on the wall... or on someone."

"Happens every time." Shaundi smiled as she shrugged her shoulders, "Good luck with that Matt."

"I'll do my best." The young hacker said nervously.

* * *

_7:30 AM - The Purgatory, Bavogian Plaza, Stilwater_

"Hurry up, Gat! We're gonna miss our flight." She dragged her luggage bag down the grand staircase of the Purgatory.

"Need help with that, Boss?" Pierce inquired. The red head just held her hand over his face, shutting him up.

"Chill, Boss. I drive just as fast as Lin." He walked out casually.

"Yeah, but not as well as she does." she frowned.

"I still don't get it, Boss" Johnny walked sluggishly down the stairs, a duffle bag over his shoulder. "Why the hell can't I pack a gun? And why use public transpo when we own a goddamn private plane?"

"Yeah with a giant 'Saints' all over it." She wiped a sweat over her forehead, "I don't want to alert the National Guards when we arrive in San Andreas. Besides, there are local gangs there. They wouldn't like it if the Saints arrive at their territory. They'd probably ambush us if they find out. That's why we go incognito." She sighed, "And that means going through the airport security and that means not brandishing guns inside it like normal people".

"Aw, we can take them on." Gat flashed a cocky smile.

"How come you and Gat are the only ones going on a vacation?" Pierce said, "You two going on a secret honeymoon or something?"

"Honeymoon my ass." The Boss laughed. "You're just jealous you're not going with us."

"No, I'm not!" Pierce held his hands up.

"That's okay, Pierce." Johnny patted his shoulder. "Just think of this as the Boss trusting you so much that she temporarily leaves the gang to you."

"You just want me to babysit the gang while you vacation in the beach." He protested.

"Vacation is not a verb, moron." The Boss walked over the elevator, Johnny following behind her.

"What-the-fuck-ever-" he said in defeat.

"We will miss you, Pierce!" The Boss yelled as the doors began to slide close.

"We'll send you a post card when we get there." Gat added before they both erupted in laughter as the elevator doors closed completely.

* * *

_1:30 PM - Los Santos International Airport, Los Santos, San Andreas_

The cool summer breeze blew as they stepped out of the glass doors of Los Santos International Airport. She held on to her floppy straw hat as her red hair danced with the wind under it. She wore a white tank top and purple miniskirt with her white sneakers.

"Ahhh." She breathe in, "San Andreas".

A bald man in a suit approached them, "Mr. Miller said you were coming." Gat and the Boss turned their heads, "Here are the keys to your car, it's a white Infernus in the parking lot. There are guns and money in the trunk."

"Thanks." Johnny snatched the keys from the man's hands before walking away. The Boss smiled politely before following behind.

"I'll drive!" She said enthusiastically.

"What? No way, I'd like to go home alive." He chuckled.

"My driving isn't as bad as before." She crossed her arms. "Besides, I know the streets better than you do. Come on, do you really know where we're going?"

"Ugh... Fine." He threw the keys, "Just don't crash the car, Boss".

"Jerk. Have a little faith." She winked. "Have I gotten you killed yet?"

Gat peered over his aviators, raising an eyebrow and looking skeptically at her.

"Due to my driving, I mean." She smiled sheepishly.

* * *

_6:15 PM - Santa Maria Beach, Los Santos, San Andreas_

The sun was already setting when they reached the yacht harbor of Santa Maria Beach. They made a few detours around the city before heading to their destination. She wanted to do some sight seeing, though there wasn't much extraordinary in Los Santos, because she probably won't be able to return here ever again. A few more months, give and take one or two months, and she'll be gone. She had already accepted the fact and decided that she'll live her remaining time to the fullest, just as her lieutenants suggested.

The afternoon sky was painted a bright orange by the setting sun. The light reflected everywhere; the sea, the glass windows of the tall buildings, on the hood of the fancy cars. It made the whole coastline glow orange.

The harbor was as alive as she remembered. Festive music blasted from a loud stereo in a van near a group partying in the beach. Colorful small flags hung from each post and cottages. And of course, just as the Boss described, the giant Ferris Wheel towered at the end of the pier. The tourist attraction can be seen even from the highway going there.

"There it is!" She pointed at it. Her eyes gleaming with joy as she saw her childhood dream.

Gat just stared at her with a smile. She hadn't been this excited, let alone happy, for a very long time.

She grabbed him by the hand, and started running down the pier, dragging her second-in-command behind.

"Jesus, Boss!" He yelled, trying to catch up.

"Hurry up!" She said over her shoulder, still running. She held her floppy hat over her head to prevent it from flying off.

They were both panting when they reached the Ferris Wheel. "Two please." She said with a smile.

"It's your lucky day, Miss. We were just about to close. This is the last round. Go right in."

"Yes!" She exclaimed, still holding on his wrist.

The old machine whirred and they entered their cab. She bit her lips in anticipation as their cab slowly moved up.

Gat sat in front of her, just staring at her unusual expression. He took off his aviator sunglasses and held his phone up to her face.

The successive sounds of clicks made her snap out of her dreamy thoughts. "Hey what the fuck, Gat?"

He chuckled as he fiddled with his phone, "Aw, you're so cute when you space out."

"Shit, delete that." She blushed as she reached out for his phone.

"Nuh-uh." He slapped her hands off, "You dragged me all the way here. This is the least you can do for me."

"Bullshit. What do you even want with that photo? God, it's so embarrassing." She sank back to her seat. He smirked at her as he took off his aviator sunglasses.

"So, tell me about all this." He spoke after some time.

"About what?" She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked outside the cab.

"You're obsession with this place."

"It's not an obsession." She glared at him, "You asked me what I want to do and this is the first thing that came to mind."

"Hey Boss, how come you never tell me... or anyone about your past?" He hesitated at first but he was too curious to let this chance slip, "Shit, we don't even know your real name."

"Are you scared of losing me without even knowing anything about me?"She looked down.

He sighed, putting his aviators back to hide his eyes, "Yeah, a bit." He looked away, "I've always thought we'd have more time to know you, but now that we know we don't. It's just... heh"

She sighed. "Fine." She pointed her finger on a small house near the beach. "I lived there. Well, at least for a while."

"Really? And?"

"And for the first time, my life wasn't that horrible." She shrugged her shoulders, still looking at the sights.

"Nice foster family?" He fixed his eyes on the small cottage.

"Not really." She let out a dry laugh, "I just liked the beach. It made me forget about the shit that happened to me. Just staring at this Ferris wheel for hours everyday gave me a little hope in life." She smiled sheepishly, "It made me dream. Made me think, 'One day, I'll be out of there doing whatever the fuck I want and laughing at times like these'. And that's it. Next thing I know, I was transferred to Stilwater and escaped when I had a chance and wandered around and ta-da~, I found the Saints."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Bullshit, Boss." He leaned back.

"You think so? What do you want to hear?" She bit her lip. "I didn't think it would matter, to you at least. I just don't want to be known by anyone, I guess. I don't want getting people involved with me."

"Well, why the hell not?"

"I dunno. I don't like opening up. I just don't like it when someone gets too close, too personal with me. I feel... bared. Vulnerable. I feel like I'm exposing my weakness. I don't like it, feeling weak. I don't like relationships; the thought of someone changing your world with one word or one touch. I just don't. I'm scared of that." She looked away. "Heh, I have serious trust issues even as a kid, Gat. When I got a chance to wipe my slate clean, I decided to forget everything in it before."

"Then why are you telling me these now?"

She got flustered by the question. Why, indeed? "I- I don't know." She looked into his eyes, "Maybe, I just want someone to know me. It's counter intuitive to everything I had just said, I know. But I just want to do this. Please just understand me like you've always done."

* * *

A/N: Whew. Well that was fun to write. Read and Review! Next chap will be up real soon because I've already written it ages ago.


	12. 11 - From the Row to the Streets

A/N: Okay, I know I promised I would update quick, but I re-wrote half of the chapter.

To the anonymous person who said that 'vacation is actually a verb', well, since that was a one chapter GTA universe cross over, I made it a point to make a reference line. That was actually a reference to one line in GTA:Vice City radio station called VCPR or Vice City public radio, my favorite radio station ever in the series, or maybe even in real life. The host, Maurice Chavez, argues with his arrogant guest in the studio who says he 'vacation in Rhuba' and he replies 'vacation is not a verb, you moron.' So that's that. Look it up if you want, it's super funny. But hey, in my country, we usually say 'I went on a vacation last month' and not 'I vacationed last month', my English prof might punch me in the face if I say that. Well, I don't know. I respect your point, maybe it's a matter of language preference. In my home country 'salvage' means to kill without mercy. :|

Anyway... Here goes my longest chapter yet...

* * *

Chapter 11: From the Row, to the Streets

_10:30 PM – Pier Harbor, Santa Maria Beach, Los Santos, San Andreas_

"Can't believe you just told me something about yourself." He laughed, "Wow, Boss, you've changed."

"You've been gone for six action-packed months, what do you expect?" She shrugged her shoulders, returning a smile.

"Damn, I feel like I've missed a lot on you." He scratched his head, "And a couple of months from now, you'll be gone. It just sucks." He tried to smile, but his eyes were a dead give-away.

"Well, next time don't fall go comatose right after we pick a fight with a multinational crime organization." She bit her lip, feeling the slight awkwardness in the air, "But I am glad you're back."

"Yeah? Why, 'cause Pierce and Shaundi doesn't listen to you decide to rant?" He smiled as she punched him on the shoulder. "Ow, I like listening to you talk and talk for hours."

"What I mean is, now that you're back, I can rest easy." She pouted her lips. "You have any idea how stressed I was when you were gone?"

"Hm? You looked like you were having fun in Murderbrawl—Ow!" she punched him again.

She sighed as she smiled, "You'll make a good leader someday, Gat."

"We had this exact same conversation before, Boss," He rubbed his forehead, "back then, on the old hotel, when we planned reviving the gang." He chuckled, "there's a reason why I'm calling you 'boss' now."

"Well, I'm dying Johnny, you don't really have a choice."

"Why don't you just pick Pierce? I'm sure he'd be delighted." He looked away, cringing at her words.

She shook her head, "I want you to manage the Saints, after I'm gone".

"Boss, listen to me," he said slowly, "I'm not leader material. I mean, come on, I just like blowing shit up. I can't think of crazy plans and miraculous solutions to problems like you do. " he sighed again, "You've got a lot of choices. I'm not exactly the sharpest tool in your shed."

"No shit, you're the bluntest." She laughed. "But sometimes, it's what this gang needs."

"Boss... No. I'm not as good as you. I can't do the stuffs you do. You're too... freakin' amazing."

"When you were gone," she paused to look at him, "when everything was plain bullshit in the gang, when Shaundi is always PMS-ing and when Pierce is always bitching about stupid stuffs, I suddenly think of you."

"Wha-?" he raised an eyebrow.

"When I'm in a bad situation, I used to think," she chuckled, "What would Johnny do? And then I'd suddenly think of some solution to the problem."

"For real? What did you think of, blowing up the Syndicate building?"

"I'm not sure if I'm really a good leader to y'all. People give me more credit than they should but most of the time I'm just being stupid and luckily, it turns good in the end." She leaned over to his shoulder, "But I'm pretty sure that having you as my right-hand gave me an edge. Plus you'll get a handful of annoying but very reliable lieutenants to help you, they sure did to me." She smiled inwardly, "The Saints, no, everyone respects you. That's why I know you can handle the Saints."

_The two Saints sat upon an old bench at the tip of the pier. A cool night breeze blew gently. A breeze that can sooth any troubled person's weariness or troubled mind..._

_...Or so the tourists and locals say. _

"God, why do you even have to die?" he scrunched his eyebrows in frustration, "How can you leave me like this?"

"What, you think I wanna die?" she said flatly, "You think I'm enjoying this?"

"Boss?"

"I didn't deserve to walk away from all these." She closed her eyes. Her head was resting on his shoulder. "Dying from an illness in such an early age, it's like taking the easy way out for a cold-blooded killer like me. I would probably die in my sleep. It's not fair for those people who I had killed or have died while screaming in agony. If I had the freakin' choice, I want to suffer as much as they did before I die".

Her mistakes, the deaths on her hands, the things she took for granted, burned in her memory. She wished to forget them again, but she wanted to feel the pain. Her conscience: A divine punishment sent from heaven itself, or hell for that matter.

She forced a dry laugh, "And here I am, sitting on a goddamn beach, having the time of my life after all the horrible things I've done in my life".

"Why are you so convinced that you don't deserve to be happy?" She jerked as he spoke. He didn't look at her. "Why do you blame every bad thing that happens to yourself?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's my fault!" She snapped, "Because everything leads back to me."

She was having one of her episodes again. Depression hit her once in a while, whenever she felt vulnerable or when she remembers that she had emotions too. She had her emotions 'turned off' most of the time, making her the cold-blooded, happy-go-lucky leader they had, but once reality sinks in, she would be miserable again. Her shrink gave her some prescription drugs to help her deal with her periodic problem, but as stubborn as she was, she never took them. Once in a while, she just won't speak to anyone and lock herself in her room or disappear for days.

"Lin died because I worked too slow for her to get discovered. Carlos died because I got him involved with the Brotherhood and because I pulled a stupid prank of Maero. Aisha died because I got her involved with the Ronin. Shaundi always gets kidnapped because I always leave her alone to do shitty things while there are still threats. And you almost died because I let Birk join us in that stupid robbery and I left you alone with those goons!" She rubbed her forehead. "I'm standing over a pile of corpses, Gat! Thousands of Saints have died to get me where I am and I don't really give a damn about most of them. And you ask me why I feel like this?"

She was panting when she finished talking. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Her conscience had been eating her from the inside out for years now.

"You done talking?" He glared at her. Silence ensued but not for long.

"First of all, Boss," He turned to her, his eyes boring into her own, "I haven't met a Saint who works nearly as fast as you do. You ask for orders from us lieutenants, and you'll return later that night to watch yourself in the evening news. It's crazy. Your contributions to Julius is more than all his lieutenants combined." He sighed, "Lin's fate with the Rollerz is sad but shit, that ain't your fault the enemy decided to use their head".

She shook her head, still saying nothing.

"Also, Carlos... He wasn't ready for the job. He was too good, too soft to have handled our way of life. You did everything you could, Boss, we all saw that! And shit Boss, Aisha? That was more of my fault if it was anyone's. You couldn't have known what they would do that day."

He placed his hand over her trembling shoulders, "And Shaundi, she should really learn how to fend for herself. You pamper her too much back then, that's why she never learned to fight until she felt she really needed to. You can't always be coming to her rescue every time she breaks a nail."

She looked away from him but he cupped her chin to keep her eyes on him. "And me? If I remembered correctly, I asked you to get the fuck out of the plane. That was the choice I made." He scolded her. She countered every argument in her head. She forced her eyes to close, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"I did what I though was right at the moment. Just as you did on all those times before." He heaved a sigh, "We can't really do anything about the decisions, right or wrong, but to accept them, and just use it to your advantage, to move forward. Our sacrifices were never wasted with you".

Their faces were close to each other, the tip of their nose almost touching.

"Stop trying to live in the past, Boss. Forgive yourself already. You deserve a happy ending."

For one crazy moment, she thought of leaning in to kiss him. Just a few inches, and she could claim his lips. But she held back. There were far too many things in her head right now to even move. Can she even forgive herself? A happy ending? Is it really possible for her?

"Did you ever... hate me for leaving you back there?" She said under her breath. A question she had been meaning to ask him since he woke up.

"No way." He said flatly, "I was so happy when I heard Shaundi's voice at the transmitter saying you're about to jump. Those assholes had their guns on me and for one second there, I really thought I was gonna die, but knowing that you were safe, I just..." a lopsided smile went over his lips, "Heh, what can I say? I'd die for you any day".

Her cheeks felt warm. Her heart raced. Suddenly, her eyes can't focus on one thing. She pulled away from him and stood up, her back facing the man. She cupped her cheeks with both hands, feeling the unusual warmth in them. _No. no. no. no. He didn't mean anything by that. No. He meant as my right hand. Ahaha... Do you really think he thinks more of you than that? Hahaha Yes... Stop it. Get yourself together. It doesn't mean anything—_

She felt his warm grasp on her arm, turning her body involuntarily, then pulling her close.

Her eyes widened as soft but longing lips brushed over hers. She was too surprised to move or to even think.

_It was a love they never dared to say out loud. He knew it. She felt it. But the words were always left unsaid. It lingered in his mind, in her heart, like a wonderful secret known by all. It was a certainty but not quite a fact. And right at this moment, everything changed. She felt her whole world cracking open to one person; something she feared for many years._

Without a thought she parted her lips, letting his tongue slip in and meet hers. Her hands moved on their own, wrapping themselves around his neck, pulling him closer. His grip over her arm loosened and began snaking onto her hips, lifting her into her tiptoes.

The kiss was slow, or at least it felt slow. Everything else in the world felt like it has stopped, nothing else mattered. She felt numb to everything else around them. Every single one of her senses were focused onto him; his touch, his lips, his breath.

With one swift second, he slowly pulled away and set her down on her feet. They were both breathing heavily as they gazed into each other's eyes, trying to decipher each other.

He broke the stare and took a step back. A lopsided smile went over his lips. "Well, good night."

He began walking away from the woman who was still standing dazed. _Did that really happen or did I just imagine it?_ It felt so surreal, so impossible, and yet she can still taste him from her lips.

"Shit." She muttered, running her fingers over her lips. "Holy motherfuckin' shit."

* * *

_7:00 AM – Santa Maria Beach, Los Santos, San Andreas_

She had her red hair up in a messy bun. Purple-tinted aviators were over her tired and sleepless eyes. She wore a simple sleeveless collared shirt and a pair of board shorts. She fiddled with her purple cell phone as she leaned over the railing.

"Hey man, see that chick?" A man in a dull green hoodie whispered from across the street, eyeing the Boss.

"Yeah, she's hot." His companion, wearing the same color, smiled lazily.

"That ain't my point, nigga!" He yelled.

"What then?" A younger man in a loose t-shirt leaned over their low-rider.

"Don't you guys watch the news? That's her! That's the leader of the Saints." He pointed at her.

"Woah, dude. Just 'cause she has red hair, doesn't mean she's that woman. There are thousands of red-heads, man." Another gangster in their car smoked a blunt, not sparing her a glance.

"Well, I know that, fool. But that's her. I'm sure of it." The man in the hoodie stated confidently.

"How'd ya know, fool?"

"Man, stop checking out her legs for once and check out that tattoo on her forearm." They all squinted their eyes and waited for her to move her arm to reveal the fleur-de-lis tattoo underneath it. "That's Saints symbol! It's her."

"Man, you crazy." The other guy said dismissively.

"Well, check out the tattoo peeking on her back... and around her arm," he pointed, "And her purple phone and the decoration hanging on it. If you watch the news, you'd know she's the only motherfucker who has those tattoos."

"Ayt, man. So what if she is the leader?"

"What if they're planning to move to Los Santos?" The younger gangster said. "Man, we gotta smoke her now that we have a chance. To protect the hood, man."

"Exactly what I'm thinkin'. We ain't never gonna let the Saints crash at Grove Street territory." He said proudly.

"But if she is the leader, isn't she pretty badass? I heard horrible stories about her." The other man muttered.

"Heh, legends. We heard the same scary stories about our Boss." The young one chuckled, "She's alone. I'm sure we can take on one girl."

"Ayt, we down?"

"For the hood, man!"

The four gangsters in green slowly approached the Saints leader staring blankly on the sea.

"Hey Saint!" One of them called.

She sighed as she heard the name. She turned her head slowly before looking back at the sea. "Go away. Not in a good mood today."

"You have any idea where you are?" The young one yelled pointing his wooden baseball bat at her back, "This is Grove territory, bitch!"

She turned her body and faced them. Her cold blue eyes twitched in irritation, "Listen you petty, low-leveled street thugs. I'm on a vacation here. I'm not here to fight. But if you're looking for one, I would gladly oblige."

"You think you can take all four of us without a weapon, bitch?" They circled her. Two of them with a bat, one with a tire iron, and another wielding a brass knuckle.

She cocked her head to the side, "Pretty much. Considering that I killed ten times your number while drugged and naked."

"Very funny, bitch!" The taller man, threw a heavy punch at her. She twisted her body, evading the blow by inches before grabbing and twisting the man's arm, making him drop the brass knuckle which she caught with her free hand.

"Thank you~" She smirked as she swept her leg under the man's foot, making him fall on his back.

She ducked quickly as the man with the hoodie swung his bat at her. With one swift move, she lunged up and gave him an uppercut with the brass knuckle she swiped from their fallen friend.

Their still stunned companion froze as she charged towards him and punched him in the stomach.

The youngest one drew his pistol while the Boss still had her back on him. The shot fired rang, alerting all the people on the beach.

"That ain't very nice." Gat smirked as he held the man's wrist up, away from the Boss.

"Let go of me, asshole!" The youngster yelled as he sneakily drew a pocket knife with his free hand.

Johnny caught his other hand with ease, "You have any idea who you're fucking with, kid?" The young gangster cried in pain as the Saint's second-in-command broke his right arm by twisting it over his left.

"Johnny." She said flatly.

"Boss." He replied in a similar tone. "Hey, about last-"

The loud screeching of tires called out to them. A green Sabre drove dangerously fast towards them.

"Not the right time and place, Gat." She shook her head. "We should get going before this goes big."

"Oh yeah, let's bail." He said as they turned to make a run for it.

"Oh wait." The Boss stopped and looked at the young gangster lying on the concrete, "Just so you know, we're not here to take over so don't make a fuzz about it." The confused kid nodded as she turned to leave.

She spun around again before she got far, "Tell Sweet I said 'hi'!"

She jumped over the fence, following Gat's lead, and ran towards the underside of the pier harbor.

"Who's Sweet?" Johnny asked as he leaned over the post.

"Some guy I know in their gang." She panted, "Doesn't matter".

"Hey Boss, about last—Ow!"

She cut him off with a straight jab over his face, hitting his nose bridge with the brass knuckle she previously used.

"Jesus..." Gat exclaimed, wiping the blood gushing from his broken nose.

"Ah, so therapeutic." She shook her hand, dropping the weapon.

"Wow, and I hoped we'd have a normal conversation."

"You wish." She smiled, "You jerk, leaving me standing there alone after what you did".

"Well, I had the feeling you'd punch me or something." He looked at the blood on his palm, "And you did."

"Serves you right."

"Right, right. I get it. It was a mistake. Spur of the moment." He smiled apologetically. "Shouldn't have done that. Sorry, Boss".

She turned her back on him, a little bit hurt and confused with what he said. And for a moment there, she thought that he might have feelings for her. She shook her head, flushing away the thought.

"Right." She sighed. "Let's go back to the hotel and fix you up."

* * *

A/N: And that concludes our short trip to Los Santos. Next week, we'll be back in Stilwater. Aww... Sorry Boss. As much as I want you to stay there and rip that city apart, I promised an old friend named Carl Johnson that I'll take care the city we worked hard to conquer.

I'll give a cookie to anyone who knows the significance of that Green Sabre. I'll give you a hint, it plays a big role in GTA:SA. Nothing, I just want to make that reference. I love making references. It's not really significant in the story. It's just the first car I thought of in SA.

What do you guys think of the kiss? I had to google how to write about one since I never really did it before. lol.

Sorry for the reeeeeeealylong A/N. I just have so much to say. I'm such a chatterbox when I write.

Read and review! We're counting on you!


	13. 12 - Homecoming

A/N: Warning: This chapter is fluffly as fuck, my nose ran out of blood to bleed out. Geez, but next chapter will be bloody, not in the oh my god so cute way. Literally. Or maybe not so bloody. Whatevs, I haven't wrote it yet.

* * *

Chapter 12: Homecoming

"Hey Boss!" Shaundi swayed her hips as she walked. "How's your trip to the S.A.?"

"Hmm?" She said distractedly, "Good."

"Why don't I sound convinced?" She dropped down on the bed next to her. "Something happened?"

"N-Not really." She looked away.

Shaundi sat up. "Tell me about it. Come on Boss, let it out." She nudged on her shoulder.

"Shit, don't even remind me about it." The Boss turned on her side, avoiding Shaundi's skeptical look.

"Fine." She pulled out her phone, "I'll call Johnny."

"No." The Boss swiped her phone swiftly from Shaundi's hand. The other line was already ringing.

_"What?"_ Johnny greeted lazily over the phone.

Shaundi grinned at her as she stared blankly on the phone.

_"Shaundi, seriously, what the fuck-" _The Boss cut the line off with a frown.

"Oooooh... something did happen between you two." Shaundi teased, elbowing her to her side.

"Fuck, Shaundi! Get the hell out of my room!" she pushed her lightly. "Come on, I'm exhausted."

"Did you kiss?" Shaundi asked, as if she hadn't heard her.

"Wha—N-" She blushed.

"Oh my god..." Shaundi's eyes widened in curiosity.

"Fuck it. Fine!" the Boss said angrily, "We kissed! He left me standing there! I punched him the following day! End of story."

"Boss! Why the hell did you punch him?" Shaundi pouted cutely.

"Well, he deserved another, or a thousand more." she dropped her back on the soft bed, "Geez, my life is already complicated as it is, why'd he have to..." she gritted her teeth in frustration, "God, now I'm really confused!"

Shaundi watched her, trying to hide the smile on her face. She had always knew these two had something for each other from the very first time she saw them together. The way they looked at each other – it was different from how they looked at anyone or anything else. She had always assumed that they were more than friends, but the time she had spent with the two made it clear that they were nothing she thought of. No, they were just two people who were clearly cut for each other, but would choose to stay away from each other for the sake of not complicating things between them. They had this unusual relationship instead which she had always envied, a different kind of connection. _Soulmates? _she often asked herself. She had watched them carefully, waiting for that magic moment where they'd finally realize that they actually need each other in some other way than cover fire and drinking buddies.

And while she almost gave up on her hopes that their relationship will ever progress, there she was staring at the Boss getting flustered over a kiss.

"Shaundi, this is the part where you give me some helpful relationship advice." She said flatly, finally regaining her composure.

"Oh," the smile on her face wouldn't fade for days, "Uhm... follow your heart?"

"That's a shitty advice, dear. I don't have a heart." She said with a dry humor.

"One step closer to the million dollar bet." She mumbled quietly, not paying attention to her anymore.

"You were betting on us?" she scrunched her eyebrows.

"Eheh... Pierce's idea?" She smiled, totally unapologetic. "I was rooting for you two to get together, so uh... Go team!"

"Ugh." She dropped her head on the pillow. "I give up."

"You should talk to him." She said in a more serious tone.

"Not really good at confrontations. What if I make it worse? What if we can't be friends anymore? What if-"

"Stop overreacting Boss." She twisted a lock of her hair, "He'll understand. In fact, he's the only one who can put up with you, you weird, complicated sack of bones." The Boss looked at her skeptically. She dropped her chin onto her palms, "But more importantly, what do you want to happen? You know you like him the same way. What's stopping you?"

"I—uh..."

Her phone vibrated on the bedside table. The perfect escape to the question. She picked it up in a jiff.

_"Hey Boss, how's the trip?"_ Viola chirped on the other line.

"..."

"Hey Viola," Shaundi slumped on the Boss' back, "Boss and Johnny kissed."

_"Oh my fucking... OH MY GOD! I'm a hundred dollar richer." _she laughed darkly, _"So are you two dating now?" _

"Geez, it's one kiss. Why is everyone making a big deal of this?" She mumbled as she tried to shake her lieutenant off her back, "Damn it Shaundi, you're heavy! And why is everyone making bets on us?"

_"Relax Boss" _Viola chuckled, _"It's just that we all think you'd make a cute couple. Plus, it's so obvious that you two like each other. I saw you two together back then for like ten minutes and I knew you two had something for each other."_

"How the fuck do you—really?" She blushed.

Shaundi dropped on the bed laughing really hard, her hands on her stomach. The Boss glared at her, "Sorry Boss." She continued to laugh, "I just never thought we'd ever spend time like this."

_"Oh I almost forgot Boss," _Viola said in her usual tune, _"Mayor Reynolds says he wants to see you. Go drop by anytime."_

"Mayor Reynolds is looking for me?" The Boss beamed. "I'll be there in..." she checked her watch, "...two hours?"

_"Seriously?"_

"I need a distraction from all of these before I get sent to the psych ward." She walked over to her closet, "Plus, it's the Mayor. THE MAYOR!"

* * *

"Woah, that was fast." The mayor chuckled.

"Anything for you, Mr. Reynolds." She smiled shyly. "So what did you need me for?"

"Not much actually." he motioned for her to sit down, "I just thought I haven't thanked you from saving me and the city monument yet."

"Oh, uh... that's no problem, Sir" she scratched the back of her head. "It was the right thing to do."

His scantily dressed secretary brought two cups of coffee on the table, winking on the Mayor as she left.

"I heard you were diagnosed with cancer last month," he sipped his coffee. His expression grew dim, "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine, really. But they said my case wasn't all that treatable." She laughed dryly, "tumor was too close to the brain and surgery was unlikely. So," she shrugged, "I have eleven months more or less."

He sighed, "Viola says you're not receiving any treatment?"

"Oh, if I do chemo, they might reduce the size and extend my life but I'd be all brain dead, well, not literally... I just won't be able to do the normal things I do, running around and shooting properly" She mused, "I think I'd rather die than that."

"You're really okay with that?" he set down his cup. "Dying, just like that?"

She sipped the black coffee slowly, "Well, I'd say I'm pretty accomplished. I've done everything there needs to be done. My legacy is there. I don't really have anything to live for. Besides, I think it's better to die at the peak of my career than to grow old to see it burn to the ground."

"Trust me it won't. You've got good people." he winked at her, making her blush a little. "Tsk, you'd make a great loss to me." He tipped his hat.

"It's been a real pleasure working with you, Sir." She smiled, "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that."

"I'm curious though, who will manage the Saints after you're gone? I'd like t know who I would be working with after you're gone."

Her lips tensed into a thin line as she heard the question.

"Uh... Johnny will... probably." She hesitated. "He's a little brash, but the Saints will definitely follow him. Oh, but I'm sure he can behave if he needs to."

"Mr. Gat? Oh yes, I heard he had awaken from his coma. It's a pity I haven't met him." He smiled, "I should've told Viola to ask him to accompany you with your visit here."

A short breath came out of her mouth to compensate with a laugh she intended. _Shit. Everywhere he had to remind me of himself. Seriously, how did he wound up in our conversation?_

"W-Well, I'm sure he'd be pleased." Her tone was unsure. "Um, I must take my leave, you must be busy."

"Hn, paper works sure are boring, kid. Drop by anytime, I need someone to talk to, seriously."

"I'll try to visit more often, Mr. Reynolds, sir." She stood up and shook his hand.

"Bring Mr. Gat here, next time."

She faked a laugh, "Will do."

* * *

"Fuck it. Johnny this, Johnny that." She mumbled as she pounded the horn, "Get the fuck out of my way!" She turned sharply at the curve on the road, making the other cars crash behind her. She didn't even spare them a look.

"Fuck this shit." She scowled at herself, "How can he do that to me? Kissing me and then telling me it's a mistake? Fuck that." She hit the NOs as she braced herself for the impact. "Fuck, fuck fuck. I've never been so confused in my life. And now he hasn't even called me? He doesn't even want to know how I feel? Oh great, now I'm just self-pitying."

She hit the brakes, making the car screech loudly. Skid marks stained the asphalt under her.

"Fuck it. Shaundi's right, I need to talk to him to clear this up. " she pulled out her phone and stared at her phone book. Her finger hovering over his name. "Fuck me, I can't. This is crazy." She sighed as she slumped back on the driver's seat. "Maybe I should go see him? Yeah, yeah that's a lot better, I'm never comfortable with talking over the phone anyway. Ha-ha, wonder where he is? But what the fuck do I need to talk to him for?" she mumbled, "He said it's nothing, maybe it's nothing... but fuuuuck, it's definitely not nothing for me."

She fiddled with her phone nervously, "Better go ask Kinzie to trace him... or maybe Matt, because Kinzie will probably get suspicious and ask me about it. Miller it is."

"Hey Matt, could you go and find Johnny for me?"

_"Is he missing? Why don't you just call him?", _ he sounded like he was eating his dinner.

"Look, don't ask. Just do it."

His keyboard tapping loudly can be heard over the phone,_ "Why did you two fight or something?"_

"Listen kiddo, I recruited you for the sole purpose of having someone do what I need to be done without question. So just do your freakin' job!" She yelled angrily.

_"Geez Boss, sorry. I was just trying to talk to you so you don't get bored while I look. What's with the sour mood?"_

"Just shut up and give me the location." She slammed the steering wheel. "I'm just... exhausted , okay? Got a lot on my mind, that's all."

_"Right. I got it. He's in the his unit in Supremacy Condos in Athos Bay. Do you need-"_

She hung up and hit the gas.

* * *

The Boss swallowed the lump in her throat and balled her fist. "Whew, it's okay. Just casually visiting a friend." She assured herself. "Take a deep breath and knock."

She tapped her boots on the carpeted hallway. "Maybe a little later. I need to catch my breath."

She stared at the door nervously, then down at her feet. "Shit what am I wearing? Ripped jeans and a fuckin' everyday hoodie?" Her red curls was messily draping on her face. She ran her fingers through it once, "What am I gonna say to him, I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by?" she mumbled to herself, "This is clearly not in the neighborhood. Fuck, I never go here anyway."

She bit her lip, "Fuck it, I can't do-"

The door slowly opened. Her jaw almost fell when she saw Johnny holding the door, about to step out of the room.

"Hey." He looked at her with a hint of confusion.

"Hi." She smiled nervously. Too late to back out now.

"So, uh, how long have you been standing in front of my door?"

"Wha—No. I mean—Yeah." Her whole body tensed, "A-are you heading out?"

"Actually, I was going to go find you. Do you want to come in?" he leaned over the frame of the door.

She nodded and walked pass him. She looked around the white room. A few guns and ammo boxes on every corner, a slick black sofa, a small kitchen with beer bottles on the counter, a bedroom behind a door, and a huge window with the view of Stilwater. Typical bachelor pad.

"Hey Boss, listen," He slowly walked towards her. "If you're still thinking about—"

She took a step forward and grabbed his collar, pulling him closer and claiming him lips for no more than three seconds before pulling away.

"Yep, still thinking about it." She blushed as she bit her lip. She kept her grip on his collar.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her in, kissing her again. She parted her lips, deepening the kiss, before pulling away again.

"I'm confused," she said under her breath. Her hands snaked around his neck, brushing the tip of his hair, "And I'm fuckin' scared of... this."

She had always been articulate but now she's at loss of words. A thousand words swam in her head but she can't find the right words to tell him what she truly feels.

He smiled before planting a light kiss, "I love you," he gazed onto her icy blue eyes, "That's what I meant to say back then."

She felt her blood rush to her cheeks, her heart wanting to rip out of her rib cage. She wasn't exactly ready to hear those words from him, but he knew him – blunt and straight-forward. She wanted to say the words back at him, but her throat felt too dry to speak. She decided against it.

"I'm fuckin' dying, Johnny." She looked away, "It's not... I want this to work out, you and me... but I can't leave you like this. I'm gonna die really soon, and I don't want you to..."

"Really, that's your concern?" He smiled lazily making her frown a little, "Because I don't really care."

Her eyes widened, "I don't care if it's a year... or a month... or a week... or a day," he whispered between short kisses, "I'm gonna regret it more if I let you go without having you know this."

She closed her eyes, sinking into the ecstatic kiss. Her mind tells her to pull away, to walk—no, run away. But her heart was screaming for her to go for it. She had let every opportunity pass by before. Every open door she closed was beginning to creak open again.

He tilted her chin up to deepen the kiss. She pressed her body against his, pulling him closer. He slid his hand on her back and carefully laid her down on the couch. She wrapped her legs around his waist, she couldn't help but moan as he caressed her neck. She felt his cold fingertips slide under her shirt, touching her burning skin. His other hand brushing under her denim-clad thigh. She bit her lips in anticipation as her fingernails dug on his back. She cursed herself and wished she had worn a mini skirt, just so she can feel him run his fingers over her bare thighs.

"Phone..." Johnny lifted his head. She blinked twice, unsure of what's happening. He smiled, seeing that she was still dazed and lost, "You're phone's vibrating like crazy".

He pulled it from her front pocket with the fleur-de-lis keychain hanging on it and placed it beside her head.

She frowned, "Just let it be. Probably not important. Prank call or something." She reached out for him again.

He laughed dryly, "You're the leader of one of the biggest and most powerful gangs in the world. I doubt it's that's a prank call."

She bit the side of her lip and glared at him before reaching for her still vibrating phone.

She inhaled before answering the phone, "What, Pierce? This better be good or I am gonna fucking hang you upside down and feed you to Angel's tiger".

Johnny sat up and ran her fingers over his messed-up hair. He looked at her with amusement, as she held the cell phone against her ear with irritation. She was still lying on the couch, breathing ruggedly like he is.

_"What did I ever do to you, Boss? And yes, this is important. You're gonna love this." _He paused long enough to build up the tension. _"We found Dex." _

"WHAT?!" she exclaimed as she sat up abruptly.

* * *

A/N: Did you notice that this chapter is full of phone calls? Because I only did when I finished with Pierce's call. :|

Throwback chapters coming soon. Note that the next chap will take long. I need to re-watch SR1 cutscenes to get a better feel of Dex.

Read and review.


	14. 13 - Re-planting the Seeds

A/N: And back to the serious story.

Would you believe me if I said I didn't know what 'Salting the Earth' means until now? I googled it and I was like ah, that makes so much sense.

* * *

Chapter 13: Re-planting the Seeds

"Still don't get it," Kinzie took a sip from her cup of green tea, "I mean, what's the point of trying to contact your past enemies? He's not really doing anything to her anymore."

Matt Miller, her rival now turned her assistant-slash-the Boss' pet, sat across the room, typing quietly behind his laptop. He looked at her and shrugged. He had just received a scolding from the Boss.

"I think she's trying to tie loose ends." Oleg walked inside the room, making the young Brit cringe at the sound of his voice.

"Tie loose ends?" Kinzie set down her cup and looked at him.

"She is trying to fix everything before she leaves. The past blunders she had caused, she's trying to straighten them so she can rest at ease." His words were thick with his Russian accent.

"Still, I don't see why she would want to see Dexter Jackson. She never talked about him but I did my research and it turns out that he's partly responsible for the Boss' boat explosion. If he hadn't abandoned her, it wouldn't have happened. He probably would've read to their plan. She was left alone by the people she was expecting to guide her."

"She's trying to reconcile with her enemies so we don't have to worry about them in the future" he spoke, "It's not about her anymore. She is trying to think of the future of the Saints. The Masako could've been just as much trouble as STAG, had they not backed out after Dex fled Stilwater".

"Guess you're right." She stared at her monitor, "It's true. By reconciling with Dex Jackson, the Saints will have one less enemy, and possibly another ally."

"She might not look like it but she's actually pretty smart, isn't she?" Matt said, finally joining in the conversation.

"Considering that she managed to overthrow the Syndicate who had been grounded deep in Steelport, I'd say she's a genius criminal mastermind." Kinzie sighed. "Our talents and skills would've been rendered useless against the Syndicate, but because of her leadership, the Saints actually made a great team."

"Right." Oleg shook his head, "It's really a pity she had to die so early. What are we gonna do without her?"

A dead silence ensued on the room afterwards.

Matt looked at his monitor intently. It had frozen. "Aw, seriously, Kensington?" he tapped on his keyboard loudly.

"What?" She peered over her monitor.

"Don't ask me 'what'." He continued to tap on his keyboard, "You froze my PC!"

"No I didn't." She looked down her own monitor and tried to move the mouse. It didn't respond.

"What is it?" Oleg looked at her computer screen, slowly fading to black.

"Shit." The two hackers said simultaneously.

* * *

_Dexter Jackson. Head of Ultor Security. Former gang lieutenant. The brains of Julius Little's Third Street Saints._

"Johnny."

"Dex." Gat greeted back with a stern face. "Been a long time."

The former Saint turned to the Boss, a few steps behind Johnny. "Hey there, playa."

She frowned. Her heart was pounding. The traitor, Dexter Jackson, is standing in front of her, so casually. He wore a tacky grey suit and an Ultor pin on his collar. He looked so much mature now. Different from what she remembered. The man he chased out of Stilwater is back.

"Dex." She inhaled deeply, reminding herself in her head her real intentions in meeting him. Yes, she was still angry at him. She wanted to throw him off the rooftop they were in for joining Ultor and leaving them when they needed him the most. He sold them out. "Dex, I want a truce."

"Come again?" Dex looked at her with confusion.

"I said I want a truce." She sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Let's end this meaningless fight."

"Seriously, Boss?" Johnny turned his head to look at her.

"I'm not saying I forgive you." She gritted her teeth, "I'm saying we should stop fighting. Just back down."

"Why?" Dex asked, unable to say anything more. He looked at her intently, trying to decipher what she was planning in her head. Is it a trap? Is this for real? The real problem with being a deceitful person is that you expect everyone else to do the same to you at one point.

"Does it really matter?" She scoffed, "I want to make one less enemy to deal with and worry about."

He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, the steel doors creaked open. Gat and Dex' eyes both widened as they saw the man stepping out to the rooftop. He pointed his standard issue handgun at them.

"Troy!" Johnny drew his GDHC and quickly pointed it back at him. "How dare you show your face to me?"

"Johnny, put your gun down." She stepped between the two. "You too, Troy."

"Geez, I can't believe I came here." Troy shook his head, still holding his position.

_Troy Bradshaw. Stilwater Chief of Police. Former Saints lieutenant. Former undercover cop tasked to infiltrate the gang industry._

"I said put your motherfuckin' guns!" She yelled, "SO PUT THEM DOWN NOW!"

Johnny sighed and raised both his hand over his head before dropping them. Troy holstered his gun afterwards. He wasn't in his uniform today. He wore a denim jacket over a black shirt. He had a baseball cap over his head to avoid being recognized.

"Boss, tell me what this guy is doing here and why I'm not allowed to kill him." Johnny kept his eyes on Troy.

"I asked him to."

"Ah, so the plot thickens." Dex looked at them with amusement. "So what's your plan now?"

"I already told you my plan." She turned at him. "I want to call a truce... to both of you, that is." She sighed, "The four of us, we're the last of the original Saints lieutenants. And god, I have to admit, we used to be really good friends." She looked at each of them, "I think it's time we make amends."

"You're really expecting me to make amends with this guy?" Johnny pointed his finger at Troy.

"Hey, I told you to back down, to drop flags and you didn't!" Troy yelled back. "And you tried to kill me in front of my men, what am I supposed to do?"

"Your _men_?" Gat scoffed, "Well, that's kinda funny, considering that you threw the people you formerly considered as _your men_, _your crew, your friends, _to prison afterwards."

"Oh you think I enjoy doing that?" They both took a step towards each other.

"Well, I seriously doubt that, _Chief_." They glared at each other. They were ready to pounce at each other any second.

"Yo, Gat, Troy, cut it out." Dex stepped forward. The tension was building in the air. "Be cool, man."

"Shut it." They both said.

"Hey, I said stop it." She pushed them away from each other. She glared at Gat, warning him with her eyes. He frowned at her and turned his back.

"I don't know about you, Boss, but I am definitely not okay with all this." He looked at her, "I can't work with these guys."

"I'm not asking you to hang out and grab a beer with them." She sighed. "All I'm asking is for you to put the past behind you. Be civil and not plot ways to kill each other every time we meet. That's all I'm asking." He looked at Dex, clearly directing it to him, "We need to fix this, once and for all."

"I agree," Dex decided to take her side, "I'm tired of running away from the Saints. If you would stop trying to hunt me down, then I promise not to come after the Saints as well."

"Bitch, you're the one who came after us first with your squad." Gat scowled at him.

"Then we're good." She ignored her right hand. "You are free to go back to Stilwater and do as you please, as long as you don't touch my gang or harm my people."

"You got yourself a deal."

"And you two," She turned to Troy and Gat, "Jesus, you two used to be best friends. What's wrong with you?"

"He was a cop, that's what's wrong." Johnny said coolly.

"Yep, and you're a fucking hot-headed delinquent criminal." Troy added.

The Boss sighed again, "Listen, just-"

A loud explosion cut her off. They all looked at the burning building at a distant. It was the Phillips building, the tallest building in her city, she recognized it in a matter of seconds. She felt her heart race as she wondered if anyone was inside the building at the moment.

"What the hell is that?" Troy looked up the sky.

* * *

Everyone and stopped whatever they were doing to look up in the sky. Saints, cops, pedestrians, taxi drivers, bums, sidewalk vendors, businessmen; they were all at awe at what they saw. It was nothing like they ever seen before.

A giant silhouette was up high in the sky, casting a dark shadow underneath it. It shot another missile, and another building not far from the first one burst into flames.

The people screamed and scrambled under the huge airship, hovering above the tall buildings of Stilwater.

It launched another hail of bullets, not caring about the innocent people below.

Several Condors and VTOLs flew above them, open firing every building in the vicinity and dropping troops of soldiers down.

_"This is Commander Temple of STAG. Butcher of Stilwater, you will pay for your deeds. Surrender yourself and your Saints to STAG immediately or we will unleash hell on your beloved city."_

* * *

A/N: Short chap. : I have to cut it here or else I might cut it somewhere it shouldn't be.

I brought the STAG to Stilwater. Because if I was Cyrus and I wanted to hit the Boss where it really hurts, I'd cream Stilwater instead of Steelport. It's her home! And also because I know Stilwater better than Steelport, so it'd be easier to write.

Somewhere deep in my heart, I want to see these four reconcile. I don't mean for Dex and Troy to drop what they are doing now, because that's just crazy, but I want to see them... I dunno, shake hands? Something.


	15. 14 - The Plan

A/N: Whew, sorry for the slow update, or so I think. It's been really, really hard to find time to write now that it's vacation and everyone's at home. It's my secret hobby so I can't write while there's people roaming in the house.

Anyway, important announcement: I will be writing shorter chapters now, at least four pages since I'm having difficulty writing as I said above. If I extend my chapters, it will take forever to upload, so I thought I just make shorter once so I can update regularly (weekly, yeah, that's my regular). J

Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 14: The Plan

A young girl cried amongst the fleeing crowd. She clutched her doll close to her chest as she stared at the burning Phillips building, just a few paces from where she stands. Ashes fell like snow overhead. She turned her head as she heard someone yelling imposingly at the group of people near her.

"Surrender yourselves, you lowly gangsters!" The soldier's voice was muffled behind his helmet. "You are no match for STAG!"

"What did you say?" A Saint eyed the small troop of STAG soldiers. "You have no right to be here, STAG. Get out of our city! Why are you doing this?"

"Yeah, aren't you guys supposed to be protecting the people?" Another Saint stepped forward.

"Commander's orders." Their leader yelled back. "STAG! Open fire!"

"But Sir. There are civilians behind them." One of the foot soldiers said.

"They're resisting. Open fire." He replied.

"What? No we're not-" The Saint fell to the ground. His blood seeped on the asphalt under his body.

All eyes were on the fallen Saint. They all stood in silence, terrified and confused at what had just happened.

"SAINTS! We're capping these motherfuckers!" One of them yelled from the crowd. "Nobody shoots our brothers."

"YEAH!" One by one, they drew their guns and aimed at the soldiers. The bystanders picked bricks and broken glasses to throw on the STAG troop. As if that one man's death ignited the flames of the Stilwater Saints and the people to fight back, they were determined to vanquish STAG.

"Nobody can touch our city!"

* * *

"Shit, where's electricity when you need it?" Johnny pushed the elevator button thrice. "You're not responsible for this, Dex?"

"And no signal too." Troy added, as he fiddled with his phone to try to contact his men.

Dex sighed, "If I was any part of this, I would be watching you guys from Hawaii instead of here. I wouldn't want to get involved with something as big as this."

"Dex, any idea what that thing is?" The Boss kicked the door of the fire escape and began treading down the stairs. _6__th__ Floor_ was written on the sign. She frowned a little.

"I think that's the Daedalus, STAG's flagship—airship to be more precise."

"Yeah, no shit. It's flying in the air for sure." Gat scoffed.

"Whatever. It's probably jamming the networks to prevent you from getting back-up from Steelport Saints. Scattering your team and leaving you disoriented with the situation, that's their strategy. Pretty smart, nothing less expected from Cyrus."

"And the power?" Troy asked.

"Seems like they got that under control too or maybe they just damaged the power plant or something." The Boss stated, "They're screwing with us."

"Aren't these STAG supposed to be some kind of good guys?" Troy chuckled, "You heard their broadcast? What did you ever do to them for them? They seem to want to blow up Stilwater just to find you."

"I didn't do anything. I just got them kicked out of Steelport by saving a statue they wanted to bomb." She said coldly as she stepped out of the building and eyed the Daedalus hovering near the east coast. "We need to do it quick though. I'm not having something that size fall on my city. We're gonna have to take it down before it enters the city." She turned to the men, standing imposingly, "Dex, you got a plan how we can take that out fast, you better spill it now."

Dex paused for a second to think, "Thing that size won't fall from the type of fire power you have available here, no offense,"

The Boss nodded, prompting him to continue. "The Daedalus, being STAG's flagship and all, will naturally have the best armor protecting their ship from any external attack, especially from below which is the most exposed part of the airship."

"So what are you suggesting? We go infiltrate the ship and blow it from the inside out?" Johnny leaned over his Venom, still breathing heavily.

"Yes, ideally, that will sink their ship. Problem is since this is STAG's flagship..." Dex looked at the Boss.

"It will be heavily guarded by their soldiers." She finished the sentence.

"That's right. All their weapons, VTOLs, tanks, everything they use against you, plus those they haven't even used, will be docked in the Daedalus. Attacking them in their base is suicide, even for you. They've got home court advantage."

"Fuck that. We're breaking their little toy." She eyed the burning Phillips Building, debris falling from its peak. "Stilwater _is my home court._"

"You're gonna need a helicopter to get there." Dex added, "And a bunch of C4 bombs to plant on the Daedalus. If you can plant the bombs in strategic positions, then you can take it down."

"Uh-huh, and where is that?" Gat interjected.

"Just plant one in every corner, and maybe one on the deck." Dex said calmly. "That should be enough. But you need to be quick and get away as soon as possible after you plant the bombs. It's gonna be one hell of an explosion."

"Don't worry about the getaway." The Boss scoffed, "They got their toys on deck right? I'll just grab a VTOL and be gone as soon as I plant the bombs." She turned to Gat, "Johnny, where's the nearest we can get a heli? My GPS isn't even working."

"Shit, ugh..." Johnny paused to collect his thoughts. He wasn't exactly familiar with the southern island. "I don't know, I don't think we have one near this area. Closest would be the airport."

"Police Station." Troy spoke. They all looked at him with confusion. "What? I'm not gonna arrest you."

"Troy, if you're planning anything stupid, I swear-" Gat said in a threatening tone.

"I'm not." He cut him off, "We can find everything you need at the station. Guns and ammo, you can take everything you need. Come on, we don't have time for this."

"Fine. I'll take your word. Let's go." She said as she walked over Troy's Cruiser and swung open the door to the passenger's seat.

Johnny followed close behind her when she stopped him. "Uh-uh. Johnny, you go to the Purgatory and find Kinzie or Miller."

"What?"

"We need to call for back-up. We're out-numbered and out-gunned. Get them to fix the signal and transmit to Steelport. Someone needs to hold off STAG's soldier on land. Take Dex with you."

"No, Boss. I'm coming with you. It's too dangerous." Gat insisted.

"Hn, a few hundred guys in high-tech armors. I can take 'em." She smiled cockily, mimicking his tone.

He crossed his arms, "Boss..."

"Chill out, Gat. I can do this." She mused, "Cyrus specifically asked for me, so I'm gonna pay him a visit myself." Her expression grew dim, bloodthirsty.

Gat sighed. "Fine. Do what you have to do. Just come back home in one piece." He turned to leave, "And don't come back in a coma. Seriously, please. I feel like we're taking turns in sleeping."

"Right." She chuckled as she sat in the passenger's seat of the Cruiser, "I'll be back before you know it."

"Let's go, Boss." Troy started the engine.

"Boss?" She looked at him with confusion.

"Well, I don't know what to call you." Troy shrugged his shoulders as he stepped on the gas pedal. "You should've just told us your name. What's wrong with your name?"

"Nothing. Shut up and drive. We've got a city to save."

* * *

A/N: I feel like I bad mouthed STAG here too much. But anyway, they're sorta evil in real life so I guess that's okay.

Was that too short? Tell me what you think, read and review.

Oh, and it's my birthday today, May 31. Weee, I'll give a cookie to the people who will review this chapter. LOLjk. I'm getting old and that's just depressing. : Someone cheer me up.


	16. 15 - The Golden GDHC

A/N: And I'm enjoying writing for SR1 characters. Damn, if Lin was alive, I can only imagine what I could write about. I miss Lin, and that's why I'm gonna make an SR1 spin-off soon. And by spin-off I mean there's a major plot twisting that will happen. So you guys better watch out for that too. Coming soon.

* * *

Chapter 15: The Golden GDHC

"Where's the leader of the Saints?" A STAG soldier yelled obnoxiously as his troop rained bullets in front of the Club Purgatory. With a tank behind them, they laughed as they waited for the Saints futilely tried to return fire. "Bring her out now! You guys are no challenge."

"Hey asshole." The soldiers turned their heads to the voice's direction. Johnny Gat stood proudly in front of his royal purple Venom. "Don't underestimate the Saints."

"Who the fuck?" The arrogant soldier squinted his eyes to see more clearly.

"That—that's Johnny Gat!" Another soldier said nervously. "_The _Johnny Gat!"

"Bingo!" He smiled pulling out a detonator from his jacket, "And that's Mr. Dexter Jackson over there at the roof." He pointed up the roof top of the building in front of Purgatory.

The STAG looked up to Dex grinning as he saluted the soldiers before giving Gat a thumbs up.

"What the fuck are you-"

Johnny smirked as he pushed the detonator as the soldiers were still disoriented.

The tank flipped with the impact of a sudden explosion, ramming over and crushing the STAG soldiers standing in front of it. The others flew straight to the brick walls of the Purgatory just like a ragdoll. Only a few were able to take cover and survive the explosion.

"Ah, satchel charges. Classic." He said as he threw the detonator over his car seat and pulled out a Krukov.

He fired a few rounds in the air before yelling, "Saints! Finish these bastards! Show 'em what we've got!"

* * *

He hurried inside the Purgatory as soon as he finished off the remaining enemy forces and gave out orders to the Saints to go around the city and help out clear the STAG. With Dex on his side, giving the Saints a real plan and strategy to not only fight on par the heavily armed soldiers, but to defeat them altogether with what they have. He need not worry about them anymore; Confident they could defend their city against these soldiers.

Dex said the STAG got the home court advantage in the Daedalus, their flagship. He says, they got the advantage in Stilwater because the Saints own Stilwater.

It made him proud to be the second-in-command, and soon to be leader—no. He shook off the very thought and focused on what the Boss had tasked him to do.

"Kinzie. Oh thank god I found you." Gat said, panting as he kicked open the bedroom door and dropped on the bed beside her.

"Gat. You... look like shit." Kinzie spared him a look then looked back at the white laptop with purple stripes over it. Silver cursive letters spelling _The Boss, _were inscribed on its palm rest beside the touch pad.

"Yeah, yeah whatever," He ran his fingers over his hair and wiped his bloody face with his sleeve, "Listen, the Boss asked me to have you call Steelport and ask for back-up. These STAG soldiers are tough, we might need help."

"I'm already working on it." She said calmly, "They fried my computer and their firewall is really hard to crack using their firewall. Buut, thanks to the Boss' crappy laptop without my programs and stuffs, I am taking longer than I should be. God! It's like starting all over again!"

Gat sighed, "Okay, just calm down. Where's the punk kid?"

"He's in the other room trying to make a device that will amplify the signal we get from the jammed network so I can hack into STAG and un-jam the whole thing." She said really quickly. "Get it?"

He chuckled, "Uh, no, can't say that I did. But hey, work on that, whatever it is."

"Yeah, sure, sure. Now go." She said hurriedly , "Or do you want to watch me write a program and debug?"

"Gimme a break, nerd kid." He stretched his legs, "Unlike you sitting safely in front of your computer, I've been running around Stilwater all day fighting super soldiers."

"Ooh, is that knee giving you trouble already?" She teased. Her fingers still busy with the keyboard. "And also, I'm as old as the Boss. I'm not a kid."

"How the hell—"

"I do a research on everyone. You've been shot with a Tombstone shotgun by Anthony Green, an enforcer of the Vice Kings, during your mission with the Boss to take down Tanya Winters and you were-"

"Yeah, I know how I got shot. Thank you. God, no wonder Shaundi doesn't like you." He gave the hacker a wry smile. Gat stood up sighing, "Wait. How old are you?"

* * *

The Stilwater Police Station was empty, as if everyone scrambled out in a hurry, most convenient for the Saint and the Chief. Paper works abandoned on messy desks. Right now, the most important thing is to protect Stilwater from STAG.

Troy and the Boss half-ran through the front desk. Troy grabbed the keys with the tag _Roof Access_ on it and motioned her to follow him through the glassy stairs.

"Armory's that way." Troy pointed on the hallway opposite her.

"Where are you going?" She yelled as he ran off.

"Gonna find some C4 we confiscated before."

She proceeded inside the armory as she took off her hoodie, revealing her black tank top. She took out a rubber band from her pocket and tied her red hair in a messy bun to prevent it from interfering with her work later. "Alright, what do we have here?"

Stacks of shotguns and assault rifles supposedly neatly lined up over the wall were all over the damn place. On the other side, lines of night sticks the cops always carry are left behind untouched. They won't be of any use to the STAG anyway. A few ammunition boxes were on the counter, she grabbed a duffle bag with a label _SPD_ on it and shoved all the boxes of ammo and grenades she saw, an assault rifle and two Tombstone shotgun inside.

"Somebody's got to clean up. Hmm... What else..." She spun around to look for something else to pack in her bag. "Oooh... I always wanted to use this." She felt her lips curl into a smile as she eyed the stun gun sitting idly on the table.

"Hey!"

She grabbed the stun gun and turned, falling on one knee. "Freeze."

"Jesus, what's wrong with you?" Troy walked in with a duffle bag in one hand and grabbed a Tombstone.

"Just trying to see how it feels like to be a cop." She stood up and dusted her knees.

"Well, I couldn't say it feels any better than being in a gang." He chuckled. "It feels the same, only you can't randomly assault people and you're forced to wear a uniform and you have a badge over your chest. Oh, and you can't smoke 24/7. So that kinda sucks. I had to quit smoking and damn, it's difficult. It's not like I feigned being a chain smoker when I was in the gang."

She let out a genuine laugh before stopping herself, "Why'd you have to turn out to be a cop, Troy?"

"I've always been a cop, kid." He said, "I just did what my superiors have asked me to then. I didn't know I'd enjoy being with you guys so much."

"Then why'd you have to turn us in?" She looked at him with hurt eyes.

"Because it was my job to do so. I didn't want to, but I can't really do anything about it. I'm an undercover cop, that was a given." He looked at her, "The only thing I could do is to use my position to make sure you guys are safe, wherever you are."

She fell silent, "Thanks Troy. For all the things you've done. I know you're always covering up for us even if I never asked you to, so thanks for that."

"Hey, what are friends for? I'll always root for you, but secretly now." he smiled as he patted her shoulder. "Oh, I've got something for you."

He opened hi duffle bag and drew out a pistol. Her eyes widened in excitement as he held out a gold-plated desert eagle. It's been years since she last saw it but she was sure, it was her favorite golden GDHC. She knew every screw, every scratch on it.

"Oh my god, are you for real?" She laughed as she swiped the GDHC off his palm. "I thought I lost this in the sea when the boat exploded. You have any idea how many times I dove to try to find this baby?"

"Well, it was still on you when we found you after the explosion. It would be such a waste if it would just sit inside a cardboard box with all those evidences. So, I took the liberty of keeping it safe while you're out."

"Oh my god." She examined every angle of her long lost gun, "And I was getting worried that I wouldn't have a decent handgun to fight STAG! All your handguns here at the station are so crappy, no wonder the cops never really caught me when they tried." Her face turned serious, "Ok, we better get going. I really need to test my gun, I mean- Save Stilwater." She smiled sheepishly.

* * *

A/N: That stunt I pulled at the beginning of the chap, I actually do that in the real game, but of course, all by my self. I climb a vantage point and drop several satchel charges on the enemies, or random people below . then I'll go down in front of them, shoot a little, get shot a little, then suddenly I'll blow the bombs while they think they stand a chance against me. And sometimes I get in my car and drive on a straight highway and just throw out a couple of charges as I pass by. Then BOOM, yeah, it's a pretty scene. Hearing your trail of explosions follow you.

Yeah, I'm a little sick in the head. Read and review.


	17. 16 - A Bullet to the Temple

A/N: Okay, I'm gonna change the STAG Film a little, okay? Just a little.

* * *

Chapter 16: A bullet to the temple

Her red locks whipped to her face as the wind blew violently against the airship. She can feel a slight discomfort in her ear due to the sudden change in altitude they had just experienced. She squinted her eyes to scrutinize her surroundings.

A black and white helicopter was still whirring behind them, gasoline leaking from its wrecked engine. And in front of them, a handful of soldiers kept their aim on their heads.

"Well, fuck, Maybe I should've brought Johnny with me after all." She said nervously.

"Put your hands above your head, Saint!" One of the soldiers yelled. "And you too!"

"I'm not with the Saints." Troy cleared his throat as he slowly reached for his badge in his pocket. "Stilwater PD."

"You're an asshole, Troy." She whispered at him.

"I want to talk to Commander Temple, right away." He ignored her as lit his cigarette confidently.

The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. "Well, we don't have all day. Call your commander." Troy asserted.

"Alright, alright!" One of the soldiers finally gave in and turned around, "You guys keep an eye on them."

"Troy, I swear to God-"

"Yeah, keep yapping, kid. That will really do good to you."

"You fuckin' traitorous bastard!" She pulled his collar. The STAG soldiers looked at them with amusement.

"And you are a power-hungry fugitive and..." He flicked his lighter with one hand and threw it over the puddle of gasoline under the helicopter, "Fucking JUMP!"

She reacted quickly, twisting her body to take cover behind a metal crate just in time before the flames exploded under the helicopter.

"FUCK!" A soldier shouted. "It's a fucking act-" A bullet ripped through his throat.

The Boss crouched behind the crate, still coughing from the thick black smoke, her golden GDHC was already doing its work.

Troy got up and began scattering bullets on the still disoriented soldiers.

"Hey Troy!" She tossed him a S3X Hammer from the fallen STAG. He caught it with one hand.

"The fuck is this?" He mumbled with a cigarette still lodged between his lips.

"My gift to you. Something nicer than a Tombstone." She smiled as she continued shooting the incoming soldiers. "Watch the recoil."

"Oh, you shouldn't have." He said sarcastically before tearing through the soldiers on his way. "Jesus, I missed this."

"Welcome to the Dark side, Chief." She laughed as she kneed the soldier she had on a headlock. With a swift snap, she broke the neck of the soldier. "Troy, keep 'em busy while I plant the bombs."

"Okay Boss."

"Don't call me that." She yelled before running away with a bag of C4 bombs.

* * *

She sprinted towards each corner of the ship, gunning down every soldier that was foolish enough decided to challenge her.

It wasn't her first time working with bombs, but it still made her a little bit nervous in handling them. Getting involved in a massive boat explosion and getting comatose for nearly five years can surely induce a little trauma to anyone. She would be lying if she said that the explosion was nothing to her. Had she been someone else, she might have freaked already every time she hears a loud sound. But due to her line of work, she knew that it was unlikely that the boat explosion would be the last she would be involved in. So she learned how to handle herself during these situations. She had made sure that the next time she's involved with it, she would be the one holding the detonator.

She took a deep breath as she attached the C4 on the steel walls of the Daedalus.

"Okay, three down, one more to go." She whispered to herself before looking up and finding Troy single-handedly dropping the STAG soldiers coming his way. She smiled, seeing that he still hadn't lost his touch with a gun. She could've mistaken him for Johnny from this distance. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

She smiled inwardly as she sprinted towards the lower deck of the Daedalus. She was half-way home.

A VTOL suddenly emerged behind the deck. Cyrus' voice rang all over the place from his VTOL.

_"You think you can just come here and try to destroy my ship? You are out of your league, Saint!"_ He laughed, _"The Daedalus is indestructible, just like the STAG and my legacy."_

"Yeah, they said that about Titanic too." She rolled her eyes, "Why don't you come down here and fight me, gramps?"

_"Do you really think you can take me on? You? A girl? I had been fighting wars long before you we're born!"_

"_Girl_? Don't you dare underestimate _this girl_! _This girl _is gonna kick your ass." She yelled at the top of her lungs, making sure Cyrus hears her loud and clear.

She caught sight of an Annihilator RPG near the crate and made a run for it as laser shot from Cyrus' VTOL, barely missing her feet. She nearly dove as she reached the crate. Cyrus had been bombarding her with all he got.

"At this rate, you'll end up destroying your ship yourself!" She yelled as she threw the RPG over her back. She looked down at the last C4 on her hand. "Shit, I need to plant this fast and get the hell out of here already." She muttered.

She caught a glance of Troy, just a few yards from the deck.

"Troy!" She yelled at him, he looked up at her, "Catch!"

The C4 bomb plummeted down the lower deck. Troy ran hurriedly to retrieve it.

"I handle Cyrus, go plant the last on there." She shouted, still running from the laser beam.

_"The Chief of Police and a gang leader." _Cyrus snorted over the microphone, _"That's such an unlikely combination."_

"Well it works better than you and Monica Hughes." She stopped and faced the VTOL. Her shoulder budged with the impact of the RPG on her shoulder.

"Shit." She missed Cyrus, she threw the RPG on the ground and reached for another. She ran for cover behind the metal crates.

The Boss felt her phone vibrate in her jeans. "Fuck." She clicked on her earpiece. "What? Not a good time."

_"Well, I though I'd call you once we got the lines fixed." _Gat's cool voice rang over the transmitter. _"Get out of there, Kinzie can trigger the self-destruct of Daedalus even from fuckin' Africa."_

"Well, fuck. I'm busy dodging lasers here. I can't really—Fuck!" She jumped as she saw the VTOL hovering in front of her ready to blast.

_"Boss you okay?"_

"This place is about to blow, we should go." Troy ran towards her, dodging the lasers on his way.

_"You're not going anywhere." _Cyrus fired at the VTOLS docked on the ship. Orchestrated explosions followed his trail.

"Fuck it. I suck at escape plans." She cursed under her breath. "Johnny, we need a lift. And send the fucking reinforces here!"

"_They're already on their way._" Purple helicopters arose from all sides of the Daedalus as he spoke. A glint of hope shone on the Boss's face.

_"Boss, we're here to help you." _A Saint yelled over a megaphone. _"We've already cleared the STAG below_."A smile curled on her lips, the tides were finally turning.

Cyrus wasted no time. He fired a missile towards the helicopter, which exploded into flames instantly. The ship's turrets are already gunning down the other helicopters.

"Fuck you, Cyrus." She frowned as she aimed the Annihilator at the VTOL as it fired another batch of missiles to the Saints.

_"NO!"_ She smiled as she saw the flaming wing of Cyrus' VTOL. It began spiraling out of control and soon skidded towards her direction. The VTOL scratched the metal floors of the Daedalus, stopping just in front of her.

Cyrus popped the glass hood of his smoking VTOL, coughing and wheezing, he found himself on her feet. She looked down on him.

She stepped on his back to reach the radio on the VTOL. _"Guys, this is the Boss speaking, you better get out of here. The impact might be too strong, so get those choppers as far as you could." _Her voice broadcasted through out Daedalus, drowning the gunfire.

_"Roger that, Boss" _

"Heh, what about you?" Cyrus looked up at her.

"Oh, don't worry 'bout me. I'm sure I can manage to get my ass off your ugly ship." She knelt beside him.

"Kiddo, let's move." Troy ran towards her side. "This ship's going down. This is not a good time to chit-chat."

"In a minute" She brushed him off.

"No, we need to get our asses outta here." He asserted, looking around the ship's deteriorating condition.

"Well, Cyrus, it's been a pleasure." She stood up.

"Wait." He said weakly, "Finish me. I'd like to die in the hands of my enemy, not because of my own ship."

She closed her eyes for a second, "I understand." She drew out her golden GDHC. She knelt down again and pressed the gun on his temple, "Have a nice trip, Commander Temple."

Blood splattered on her gun and on her hands as she fired. She stood up and took one last look at him before turning to Troy. "Let's get out of here."

She eyed the last VTOL left unharmed by Cyrus and the STAG's rampaging on their own ship. It was a little far from the deck but it was the only one not charred yet.

"Let's make a run for it!" She beamed enthusiastically at the Chief of Police.

She stopped. She gasped, eyes widened in horror as they witnessed the wings of the Daedalus burst into flames and finally came off. The whole ship tilted to the left, the VTOLs sliding off the side of the ship. Their escape, gone forever.

"No, no, no." Troy said, holding on to a bar to keep himself from falling.

"Fuck my life." She sighed, panting as she watched everything slide off the ship. "What do we do now?"

"Think they got parachutes on board?" Troy laughed dryly.

She shrugged, "Fuck, the old man's right. Well, at least I'm not gonna die of cancer anymore."

"You have cancer?" Troy said confused.

"Heh, yeah. Why'd you think I'd suddenly call you guys a truce. I'm gonna die." She smiled nervously, "But that doesn't matter now since-"

A purple blur zoomed overhead. They both looked up with hope. It circled around the flaming and smoking Daedalus.

_"Boss where are you?" _she grinned as she heard Johnny's frantic voice.

_"Gat, calm the fuck down and slow down a bit. I can't see shit at this speed." _Dex said calmly.

_"Well, I don't know how to do that! Wait, hold up. There we go."_

They looked at each other with joy before yelling and waving relentlessly at the purple VTOL with a fleur-de-lis logo underneath.

_"That's them. Bring this down." _Dex said flatly.

The VTOL hovered down shakily before dropping down the steel pavement abruptly. The tinted hood popped open.

"Well, we don't have all day. Hop in." Gat smiled at the two still standing amazed. They climbed the VTOL hurriedly and stacked themselves on the back seat before Gat closed the hood.

"Get us out of here." The Boss said as she looked out the window.

"Uh-huh, I'm trying my best here." Gat said as he randomly pressed the buttons on the dashboard. "Oh, there it is."

The VTOL roared to life as a female computer voice spoke, _Hover mode activated._

"Oh yeah, we're back in business."

"This is a nice ride. Where'd you get it, playa?" Dex said.

_Jet mode activated._

"I asked my men to build me a VTOL a while back." She mused, "Kinda forgot about it actually."

"No shit, it was eating dust in our roof top." Gat said, "Good thing I went up and checked."

"You sure you can fly this thing, Johnny?" Troy inquired. "I heard about your little incident in Steelport."

"Hey, I flew this myself from the Purgatory!" He said grumpily.

"Yeah, after about a hundred crashes and accidental missile launches." Dex scoffed. "You can't drive stick, just admit it."

"You don't want my driving or flying, fine, feel free to jump out."

"Come on. It's just because we don't remember you being a good driver... of anything." Troy said.

The Boss tried to hide her smile as she listened to the three arguing while she looked at the Daedalus burning at a distance. It felt like seven years ago, when she was just sitting quietly on one corner watching her lieutenants argue and insult each other before sending her out to a mission. It felt like a time warp. Who would've thought they would turn out the way they were today?

"Don't be such hypocrites, guys. You're no better than me." Johnny chuckled as he steered through the buildings. Crowds of people were cheering down below at the sight of the purple VTOL. "That's why we had to hire Lin in the first place."

"Fuck, if Lin was here, she'd keep this thing to herself." Dex said.

"If Lin was here she'd punch each of you in the face and tell you to shut the fuck up." The Boss grinned.

"Come to think of it, we never really rode together until now." Johnny said.

"Yeah, that's because you guys keep on bickering like kids." The Boss remarked, hiding the smile on her lips. "It's not a good idea to keep you three in a small closed space like a car or this VTOL."

"Hey, it's getting late. I should go back." Troy finally said, "I need to, you know, do my duties. Johnny, can you drop me off somewhere? I can't exactly be seen leaving a Saints building."

"Oh, sure thing, Troy." Johnny said in an unusually friendly tone, "Will the bottom of the ocean be alright?"

"Johnny..." The Boss warned him. "Play nice."

"Nah, I'm just kidding, Boss." He said with a wry smile.

* * *

A/N: And that concludes my STAG-slash-SR1 lieutenants arc. Damn, why did Volition take out Dex and Troy in SR3? I love those guys.

Anyway, so much for my promise to make shorter chapters. It's just too fun to write. Sorry.

My class is about to begin, so yeah, I might take a little long to update. But no worries, I'll do my best to squeeze this in between my majors. If I'm taking longer than a month to update it means I already died while studying Neuroanatomy and Physiology. So yeah, please send me flowers then.

Read and Review!


	18. 17 - A walk under the moon

A/N: Reaaaally short happy chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17: A walk under the moon

The crescent moon shone behind a thin layer of clouds. The night sky was filled with myriads of stars. The night was calm and soothing. Peaceful, as if nothing bad has happened a few hours ago.

But of course, the rubble and the ashes falling like snow from the Phillips building was a testament, a reminder that something did happen. The sky scraper stood proudly regardless of the charred peak. It's true that Ultor invested their money on this building. The Phillips building was a skeleton, it's metal foundations were bared as the glassy finish of the building was long gone from the explosion.

She took a deep breath and sighed as she looked at the ruined sky scraper. A cloud of smoke escaped her chapped lips, yet she didn't smoke. It was getting colder and colder these days.

She hated it before, but she had grew to love the building. She even requested her men to replace the broken windowpane, where she had shot Dane Vogel, with a bright purple glass. It was a reminder for her and for the city that it was her who toppled down Ultor's corruption. But that was a long time ago, or at least it felt that way.

"You okay, Boss?" Johnny tried to keep up with her relatively slow pace in walking.

"Hm? Yeah. Just kinda tired and all." She kept her eyes on the building, "It's been a looong forty-eight hours for me."

"Wait, we fought STAG for like twelve hours max."

"Well, my count began long before the STAG attacked." She smiled, "I was being interrogated by Shaundi about our vacation, then I went to Steelport for the mayor, then I drove around and checked on all my businesses there, then I came back to Stilwater for you," she gave him a sly grin, "then Dex and Troy got in the mix, and suddenly the freakin' STAG terrorized my city and I was fighting in an airship, and you guys were arguing in the VTOL, and we ran away from the reporters and..." She chuckled, "here we are."

Johnny laughed at her. "Fuck, alright. You got a busy day."

"Yeah, and now look at this mess!" She spun around with her hands on her head, "I'm gonna have to take care of all of these in the morning!"

"Chill Boss." Gat patted her shoulder, "You still got a couple more hours for you beauty rest. That is if we reach your crappy, run-down apartment before sunrise. Seriously, you lectured me about the Saints being a shitload of money and you live in that place?"

"Hey, my apartment ain't run-down!" She punched his arm lightly, "I like it there. I got everything I need there, no extra useless things or people roaming around. And it's very... homey."

"The noisy Red Light District is homey to you?"

"Well, if you stay long enough you won't notice the noise." She smiled sheepishly. She rubbed her hands together, trying to catch some heat on her fingertips. She felt a light push on her shoulder.

"You're cold." He said dictatingly as he pushed his jacket balled around his fist on her shoulder.

"No, I'm fine." She shrugged. She doesn't like being pampered.

"You're in a fucking tank top. Don't be so stubborn."

She glared at him before snatching the gray jacket from his hand, "Fine. But don't get used to this. You don't need to take care of-" A thought slipped into her head, "OH SHIT."

"What?" Gat looked at her anxiously.

"My hoodie! The one I always wear." She rubbed her forehead with frustration, "I think I left it in the Police Station."

He sighed with relief. "Jesus..."

"I took it off when I raided their armory. Ugh." She paced back and forth, "I hope nobody found it yet. I'm gonna call Troy later. Oh, I have so many things to do and I haven't even slept in days."

"Boss..."

"Why am I walking so slow? I need to get back home and—and shower and change clothes and charge my phone-"

"Boss!" She snapped out of it. "Calm the fuck down. The hell happened to you? This isn't like you at all. What, were you this stressed while I was gone?"

"Actually, yeah." She had gone back to her usual self, "I got pretty serious with my job when you were, you know..."

"Well, I'm back so chill out. You're gonna overheat at this state." He said with a carefree smile. "We'll take care of things in the morning, promise. But right now, just enjoy your victory and relax for a bit."

"Yeah, but I can't because I'm still thinking-"

He pulled her with her wrist and pressed his lips onto hers. She blinked a few times before closing them completely and sinking into the moment. Her mind suddenly went blank, unable to process anything more than the kiss.

She still had her eyes closed when he pulled away and spoke, "Better?"

"Uh..." She opened her eyes and looked at him nervously, "W-what?"

The gentle smile on his face soon burst into a laughter.

"What? Oh god... Why are you..." She felt blood rush to her cheeks, blood was pumping rapidly in her veins. She landed both her palms on unusually her warm and red cheeks, "Overheating... overheating..."

He laughed again before grabbing her wrist and yanking it towards him, "Come on, I should get you home."

They began walking in silence like this; his firm grip on her wrist. An amused smile was on his face all the while.

She looked down on his hold, frowning slightly.

"What?" He noticed her.

"Nothing."

"What is it?" he yanked her arm again.

"N-nothing! It's just..." she hesitated, "You're holding me by the wrist again."

He raised her hand up to look at it for a moment, "Why? I always pull you around like this." He smirked.

"Right." She looked at the pavement, not knowing what to say.

She felt his grip slowly loosen before sliding down to meet the palm and lacing their fingers together.

"Do you prefer it like this?" He said, not daring to looking at her.

She blushed again before looking the other way. She bit her lip, "S-shut up."

* * *

A/N: Fuck it. I'm gonna dissect a cadaver at the end of the week and I don't freaking know what to feel. Geez, I'm having a hard time finding a time to write. I'm always too tired to open my laptop and write. But I got so much ideas to write! I'm gonna cry. And this isn't the type of story you can deus-ex and end so suddenly in a few chapters.

Heck, read and review.


	19. 18 - Visiting old friends

A/N: Ah yes. Good to be back. The cadaver dissection was good, by the way. Wee~

Oh, yeah, little time skip. This chapter occurred six months after chapter one. So, the time remaining is just another six month before she's dead. Haha... We're going fast after this.

* * *

Chapter 18: Visiting old friends

"I never imagined to see you in a place like this. I didn't think you're the type who loves looking back." She approached the red-haired woman cautiously. "I thought you were the forget-it-all type."

"Heh, I wish." She said in her usual cold tone as she looked down on the green grass growing beneath her boots. "But how can I forget something I vowed to remember forever?"

The news anchor, Jane Valderama, was stunned by her answer. For a very long time, she had thought of the woman as a ruthless gang leader with no regard for her people's deaths and no trace of conscience whatsoever. After she covered the gruesome news about her former boss that is.

But seeing her standing alone in the cemetery painted her a different picture. She approached her fearlessly to clear her mind. But instead she got more confused, perplexed by her strange personality.

"Please don't ambush interview me here." The Boss let out a sigh. "What are you doing here, Ms. Valderama?"

"Just visiting some relatives, that's all." She looked at a distant grave, "Whose grave are you visiting?" she inquired. No camera was following her around this time. She was unusually dressed casually today.

She shrugged, "Everyone, I guess." She leaned forward to whisper, "Don't want to play favoritism here."

She pursed her lips before speaking again, "To be honest, I didn't think you cared much about your comrades. I never saw even a hint of despair or regret, even when someone close to you died." She gazed upon the gravestone the Boss was looking at. Neat, golden curves of the name of an old friend of the gang leader. The undercover woman in the Rollerz, the best racer in Chinatown, as she remembered. "You never even shed a tear. You just went on with what you're doing with a straight face. You don't even attend your men's funerals. I've been watching you ever since you first made a name for yourself."

"You think?" She scoffed. "I'm in a gang. People die. If I stop and cry every time someone gets hurt, the Vice Kings would still be ruling Stilwater. What did you expect?"

"Hm, so it's all business with you after all." Valderama said coldly. "It's all about you getting what you want."

"Yep." She said happily.

"Then why are you visiting their graves." She crossed her arms.

"Just giving 'em a heads up that I'll be there with them soon." The Boss said casually. "Hopefully, they don't sack me when I get there."

"You just love playing the bad guy, don't you." Jane shook her head. "I don't get you."

"Not really expecting you to." She scoffed as she laid down a bouquet of sunflowers on Lin's gravestone. "But I'll let you in on a little secret: I do care about my friends, more than anything, _anything_ in this world," she sighed, "I don't need to show my feelings it to anyone to prove that. And I would absolutely throw away everything I have right now and more for a chance to turn back time and save the people I need to save."

"You're a good person deep inside, you know."

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a psychopathic and cold-blooded killer." She tilted her head to the side, "Being nice to the people I love doesn't really shorten the list of the felonies I had committed. I know St. Peter will send me straight to hell without second thoughts... while laughing and making a boat explosion joke or something."

The brunette reporter smiled and sighed as she prepared to take her leave. "Well, I should be going." The Boss smiled politely at her, "I heard you're terribly ill. Hope you get better."

"I seriously doubt cancer magically gets better when people wish you well." She said.

Jane let out a light laugh, "Well, it's been nice following your adventures and working with you once in a while." She winked, remembering their secret jobs back in Stilwater, "You've given me tons of crazy stories to cover for the past few years." She took a few steps back, "So thanks for that. I'm glad to have covered every news about you. I had a blast."

"Me too." The Boss said curtly, "Good luck on your career."

The brunette smiled and walked towards someone's grave at the far end of the cemetery, doing her own business.

The Boss' smile faded after the famed reported had left. Still sitting in front of her friend's grave, she stroked the cold marble like a child's head where her name was engraved beautifully.

She sighed before speaking, "Hey there, Lin. How're things up there?" Knowing her words will fall upon deaf, or rather dead ears, she continued, "I've been a little busy these past few months. Sorry, I hadn't been visiting. But things are finally looking up around here; no more gangs, just us. Stilwater's really... peaceful, friendly. You won't even recognize it."

She paused a while, thinking of what else to say, "In case you're wondering why I brought flowers today, well..." she bit her lip, "It's a long story and you might not remember, but you kinda won a bet against me and I owe you lunch at that Chinese resto." She smiled, "But since you're currently unavailable, I figured I'd just bring you flowers." She scratched her head, "Well, you're right, after all these years. I am in love with your trigger-happy friend. Wow, I can't believe you predicted that seven years ago. I mean, how the hell, Lin?" She laughed.

"I'll be joining you guys there soon, wherever that is. Whew, I feel like the first six months the doctor gave me just flew out the window fighting gangs and crazy soldiers trying to take my cities from me. Can you believe that? I've been given barely a year to live and these gangs keep on jumping me!" She closed her eyes, "I've got another six more months, more or less, to spend before I die pathetically of brain cancer. Cancer. Who would've thought, right?"

She paused again for a while, "To be honest, I'm a little scared. Just a little." she assured the gravestone, "Fighting an illness feels a lot different than fighting gangsters, you see. There are a lot of things you can do to fight gangs and to win against them: punch 'em, shoot 'em, blow them up from a distance, but this... there's nothing to do but wait for it to claim you..." She smiled nervously, "Or commit suicide, but that ain't really my style. I'm too self-important to do that. Plus I promised my crew I'll fight this till the end, for a year at least. I'm planning to keep my end of the deal."

"Well, I'm torn, Lin." She said in a more serious tone, "I'm walking the line between life and death and I know eventually the line will go blurry and disappear and then I won't have a choice but to face death. But right now, I'm in the middle of the road. I can't decide which side to cross."

"I want to rest, stop all the pain I feel in my body, in my mind, I really do. It's just so easy to let go of all the bullshit that comes in my life. Shut everything down. But..." she shook her head, "I'm still not sure if I'm ready to leave everything here. Whenever someone makes plans for the future, even just for the next month, I feel scared. What if I'm already dead by then? Doctor says it's pretty unpredictable starting now. What if I don't want to miss out on these things? What if my friends suddenly need me and I'm already lying inside a coffin? I don't know if I'm really prepared to leave them or if I'm just a really good liar to myself and everyone. Sometimes I feel like I want to hold on to this little life remaining in me."

"I told Gat before, I don't have anything to live for anymore, to expect in the future. No more dreams or goals I want to accomplish." She rubbed her forehead, "But... I don't know. Sometimes when I look at them, I... I feel like I want to be there with them ten years from now. I want to see what happens to our lives. What's next after this?" She stroked her red hair, not knowing what to do with her fidgeting hands. She smiled, "I want to see what will happen to Oleg and Kinzie. I want to see Angel back in the ring. I want to see Viola finding someone who could cheer her up. I wanna see Pierce hitting the top of the charts. I want to see how Johnny will be heading the Saints. I want to see Shaundi finding true love and getting married." She managed to let out a dry laugh, "I want to be alive when those things happen. I wanna be beside them, congratulating them when good things happen and comforting them when things don't go right, and not just watching them from the afterlife."

She bit her lip, hesitating to speak her mind, even to an idle gravestone, "Maybe I wanna see myself living a normal life. Living in a small town, far from all these mess I made myself, making a new life for myself. Have a family, some kids, a pet dog, maybe? Live the American Dream, eh? Wouldn't it be nice to just..." She stopped herself, "I'm just tired of fighting, that's all. I've been fighting all my life, and yet, I can't even think of dropping flags. I don't know what I want anymore. I act like this is nothing to me. That I had already accepted my fate, but honestly..."

She stopped talking the moment she felt her eyes going hot, "Okay, I lied. I'm really scared of the days to come."

* * *

"Hey."

"Hi." She smiled sheepishly as she dropped her keys on the bowl.

"Where have you been?" Johnny set down the beer bottle on the glass table and walked towards her.

"Just went out for a drive." All eyes of the Purgatory were on them. From the bar, from the living room, from the dining table, everywhere, everyone was waiting for them to act.

"Get a room, you two." Shaundi draped herself on the frame of the door. A playful grin on her face. "Or not. Because I'd love to see you two make out."

They both sighed and looked at her.

"Seriously, we can't talk casually now?" Johnny said.

"No. It's the price you gotta pay for being such a cute couple." Shaundi wrapped her slender arms around the Boss' waist, hugging her from behind, "Come on, give me all the juicy details of your love story."

"Uh... how 'bout no?" She tried to free herself. It was futile.

"You're no fun." Shaundi pouted cutely.

"Just leave us alone, Shaundi." Gat peered over his glasses, watching the Boss try to free herself from her lieutenant.

"Ooh... keeping her to yourself? Well, that's really selfish. I wanna spend time with the Boss too." Shaundi groped her breasts instantaneously, making her blush rose red.

"Hands fucking off." She pulled her lieutenant's hands off her chest.

"Heh, then go. I'm not stopping you." He leaned on the wall, looking away.

"Really?" Shaundi's eye's shimmered.

"Why not? Go."

"I don't really have a say in this, do I?" The red-haired leader sighed, giving up on struggling with her lieutenant's embrace.

"Alright, then it's decided." Shaundi grinned, "Tomorrow, I'm gonna take you shopping with me. And then we'll hit the bar and sing karaoke and..."

"Shaundi." Johnny said in a serious tone, "Take good care of her. Last time you two were shopping together, you painted Nob hill red."

"Relax." Shaundi said dismissively. "She's in good _hands_." Her hands slowly snaked up to her chest.

"Fuck!" She slapped her hands one more time, making her cheery lieutenant laugh.

* * *

A/N: This chapter came spontaneously after I read a tweet from my friend, "How can I forget something I vowed to remember forever?" It's about their break-up. Yeah whatevs, I write what I want to write.

I want to make it a point to make the Boss feel confused with the time remaining. Come on, seriously. What kind of heartless person just says, "Yeah, okay. I'm dying."? Not that she'll show her frustrations to anyone, so I make her talk to Lin. Yay Lin. I miss her a lot.

Read and review.


	20. 19 - Clubbing with Shaundi

A/N: Why Super Bass? Because I'm stressed out that's why. And when I'm stressed, I rap. This is a sorta spontaneous chapter. Hey, it's hard to write when you're drowning with anatomy books!

* * *

Chapter19: Clubbing with Shaundi

The small stage in the bar was all lit up with colorful spotlights. Swaying her body to the melodious beat, Shaundi closed her eyes, as if feeling the music and getting psyched up.

The small crowd in the bar cheered as she opened her eyes just as she began to sing.

_"This one is for the boys with the boomin' system_

_Top down, AC with the coolin' system_

_When he come up in the club, he be blazin' up_

_Got stacks on deck like he savin' up_

_And he ill, he real, he might got a deal_

_He pop bottles and he got the right kind of build_

_He cold, he dope, he might sell coke_

_He always in the air, but he never fly coach"_

A smile tugged on the Boss' lip. Never a dull moment when you hang out with Shaundi, or at least to the Shaundi that doesn't spend her time plotting to kill Syndicate goons. She could almost imagine her lieutenant with her dreads dancing with the rhythm._  
"He a muthafuckin trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship_

_When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip_

_That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for _

_and yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' ho"_

Shaundi swayed her hips seductively, as she caught her breath and clenched the microphone tighter.  
_"I said, excuse me you're a hell of a guy_

_I mean my, my, my, my you're like pelican fly_

_I mean, you're so shy and I'm loving your tie_

_You're like slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye, oh_

_Yes I did, yes I did_

_Somebody please tell him who the eff I is_

_I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up_

_Back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up"_

She winked at the bartender who almost dropped the bottle of vodka he was about to pour into the Boss' bottle. If there's one reason the Saints asked her to join the gang despite her incompetence in a gun fight, it's because she can charm anyone. And they mean, everyone.

_"Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away_

_Beating like a drum and it's coming your way_

_Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom_

_Boom, badoom, boom bass?_

_He got that super bass_

_Boom, badoom, boomBoom, badoom, boom bass_

_Yeah that's that super bass"_

Shaundi threw the microphone over her shoulder and jumped off the stage, contented with her performance. She made her way to the Boss, sitting on the bar, while she listen to people's cheers, whistles, and applauds.

"What do you think? Still think I can't sing shit?" She held her head up as she leaned over the counter.

"Alright, you made your point." The Boss smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"See? I mean, why the hell is Pierce the recording artist among us?"

The bartender served a cosmo in front of the feisty lieutenant, "On the house."

"Thanks," she said without looking at him, "And now he's running as Vice-Mayor?"

"Well, it's a wise choice not to run against Mayor Reynolds." She emptied the shot glass and called the bartender to pour another round.

"That's not my point!" Shaundi threw her hands in the air. "And why are you so obsessed with Reynolds?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, I grew up watching his movies."

"Really Boss, don't you have a normal childhood?"

"Oh, don't worry, darling, I tried smoking pot in my younger years too." She grinned, "And I played hacky sack for a while."

"I didn't say that was my childhood!"

Shaundi's phone rang, cutting her off. She clicked, loud speaker.

_"Hey girls, having a good time?" _Pierce's smooth voice rang over the speaker.

"Sorta. Until you called." The Boss leaned closer.

_"Why the fuck are you so mean to me?"_Pierce complained.

"Nah, I'm like this to everyone. Ask Shaundi."

"What do you want Pierce?" Shaundi sighed, "For the last time, I'm not gonna campaign for you."

_"I don't need you to."_

"Oooh, burn Shaundi." The Boss snickered.

"Alright, why'd you call?" She said irritated.

_"Chill, Shaundi."_ Pierce sighed, _"I got two VIP passes to this cool club in-"_

"Yeah, what's the catch?"

_"What? There is no catch. I can't treat my two beautiful friends anymore?"_

"Come on, Pierce. We both know there's always a catch." The Boss said. "What do you need?"

_"Alright, alright. I just needed to get these out of my hands since they're about to expire and I'm too damn busy to get out of Steelport, nowadays. So I figured, you know, why not gain the Boss' favor while I'm at it?" _He paused before quickly adding, _"Oh, and also I need a package delivered to the owner of the club."  
_"Knew it." Boss tapped the table.

"Get out of Steelport? Which club are we talking about?"

"_It's called, the Malibu Club. It's pretty famous, I'm sure you've heard of it, Shaundi._"

"Well, why didn't you say so immediately?" Shaundi clasped her hands together excitedly, "Where can we pick up the passes?"

"Aight Pierce, that's really sweet, but I don't think I can leave Stilwater at the moment just to go party in some club." She said, "Besides, I own the best night club in Stilwater anyway. All the good clubs in Stilwater, in fact."

"Boss, it's the Malibu Club. What's wrong with you?" Shaundi shook her shoulder.

"I don't even know where that is." She rolled her eyes. "And I don't even want to-"

_"It's in Vice City." _Pierce said,_ "Seriously, Boss, you haven't heard about it?"_

"Did you say Vice City?" She stopped.

"Why Boss?" Shaundi looked at her skeptically.

"Nothing, let's go."

_"Really?"_

"Do you want us to go or not?" She brushed him off.

"I don't care, let's just party." Shaundi grinned.

_"Oh, and Boss..."_

"Yeah?"

_"Do not fuck with this guy."_

"I fuck whoever I wanna fuck with, Pierce."

* * *

Shaundi perched a pair of sunglasses over her head. Brown curls hang loose from her usual pony tail, draping over her shoulder. Her four-inch high heels tapped noisily on the concrete steps outside the Malibu club. She was glamorous, personified.

The Boss, on the other hand, stepped out of her silver convertible sluggishly, feeling jet lagged from the flight. With much convincing and pleading, Shaundi got her to wear a nice fitted red cocktail dress, with the condition that she gets to wear any footwear she's comfortable with, meaning, not painstaking heels. She wore a knee high black boots, and a black leather jacket over her dress.

"Hey, can we get this over with?" She asked impatiently.

She shushed her before turning to the two suits in front of the glass doors of the club.

"Hi," she said as charming as she could, "We were wondering if you could let us in the club-"

"Sorry, girl. This is an exclusive-" One of the guards began to say.

"Shaundi, just ask them to give the dude the package so I can bolt." The Boss said.

"Wait." The bald bouncer said, "Are you Shaundi? As in 'Sleeping with Shaundi'-Shaundi?"

She twirled her hair, "Oh, I didn't think you'd recognize me. You a fan of my show?"

"Hell yeah. I have a complete DVD set." The other one said.

The Boss' jaw almost dropped. She never really understand how Shaundi managed to let every single man in the world drink a love potion for her.

"So can we go in?" Shaundi batted her eyelashes.

"No." The man said, "Unless you sign me an autograph."

"No problem, handsome." She winked. "Just, keep it a secret okay?"

* * *

"You know, Boss, I missed chilling with you." Shaundi leaned on her as she stared at the dizzy pink lights that illuminates the rounded mosh pit-like dance floor. The bodies swaying intensely made her head spin, or maybe it was just the alcohol. It has been a long night of partying in the neon pink club.

"Yeah, me too." She said flatly. "Yo, let's get this thing to the owner and get out of here." The Boss stared at the brown box on her lap.

"Relax, Boss." Shaundi scooted close to her. "You have any idea how prestigious this club is?"

"No, and I don't care." She said flatly. "Too pink. Too Morningstar-ish. Too French-fuck."

Shaundi laughed heartily, "And I thought you didn't care much about Loren. Back then, I felt like I'm the only one stressing on killing him and you and Pierce we're all like, 'Meh, let's get a penthouse first.'"

"Of course, I cared, you idiot." The Boss smiled, trying to mask her irritation at her drunk lieutenant's comment.

* * *

_"Boss, how can you be so cool about this?" A drunken Shaundi slammed her hands on the table, making her boss look up from the newspaper she was reading. A few bottles of empty beers lie beside her._

_"Calm down, Shaundi." She resumed reading the article about the recent plane crash. It was all covered up by the media._

_"No Boss," Shaundi took the newspaper from her hands, "I will not be calm about this. What are you doing, sitting around? Johnny just got laid out by that Syndicate guy, and we're bankrupt and cooped up in my ex-boyfriend's stinky apartment! What is wrong with you?"_

_The Boss stood up abruptly, making her lieutenant stop, "Do not talk to me like that. You hear me?" It was the first time in a long time that she saw her this intense. She had been lax for the past couple of years._

_She opened her mouth but the Boss began talking again, "If the next thing I want to come out from your mouth isn't, 'Yeah, Boss, I'll leave you alone for now.', we're gonna have a problem."_

_Shaundi frowned for a moment. "You know what, Boss, I think you have a problem. Why don't you-" _

_The Boss grabbed the collar of her jacket and threw her against the wall. "What do you want, Shaundi? I'm trying to run a gang in here, and unlike you, I can't mope and bitch around all day." She finally snapped, "You think you're the only one devastated here?"_

_"Boss-" Shaundi suddenly had a moment of clarity. Realizing what she had said to her Boss with her fogged mind._

_"He is my best friend, you bitch." She interrupted, "I've known him longer than you or anyone else, and if someone has the right to get depressed or get mad, that's me." Her grip loosened, "I'm having a hard time here too, okay? But I really can't afford sulking in a corner, while the Syndicate is still standing."_

_"Boss, I'm so sorry."_

_"Get out of here." She slumped back to her seat. "And please pretend this just never happened."_

* * *

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?" A dark haired man asked the Boss.

"I think she had enough." She replied, "But yeah, sure."

He raised is hand to the waiter behind the bar. "So where are you from?"

"Hm? How'd you know I'm not from around here?"

He chuckled. "Let's just say, I know my city pretty well."

"Stilwater." She said flatly.

"Ah, home of the Saints."

"Uh-huh." A smirk unintentionally grew on her face as she sipped the sparkly drink the waiter set down on the counter in front of her. Their fame know no bounds.

"You have any idea who we are?" Shaundi lifted her head unsteadily.

"Uh, just sleep for a while, okay, lightweight?" The Boss patted her head.

"Not a lightweight, Boss. You're just a really good drinker... er... drunk." She slurred on her words. "You're like me and drugs except you're you and..." She dozed off before finishing her sentence.

She smiled apologetically to the man.

"So what's your business here?" He asked after a few seconds.

"Not much. Pretty personal, I guess."

"That's a really safe answer." He smiled, "What's your name?"

"My name is..." she chuckled, "I don't usually give my name to strangers."

"Since I practically bought you the most expensive drink on the house, I say we're pretty much acquainted already."

"Believe me, I could've bought it myself and this club too."

"Not telling me your name, are you?" he mused, "What am I supposed to call you then?"

"Honestly, honey, I don't give a fuck." She said. "What about you? Shouldn't a gentleman introduce his name first before asking for the lady's?"

"Ha, my bad." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Tommy Vercetti."

She chuckled, looking down at the package Pierce had sent her. She flipped the small card on it to re-read Pierce's messy handwriting. _For Mr. Vercetti._

"_The_ Tommy Vercetti?" She felt her heart beat a little faster.

"The one and only."

"Knew it." She cocked her head to the side, "Then I guess, it's safe to assume you do know who we are."

He shrugged, "I'm just trying to have a friendly conversation with my costumers. What do you think of my club?"

"Right." She sighed. "Reminds me of the club in _Scarface_."

"Heh, you should see my mansion. Say do you wanna talk somewhere more private?" He smirked. "It's a little too noisy down here don't you think."

"Don't push it man, I have a hot-headed, trigger-happy boyfriend." She grinned.

"Well, that's too bad." He snapped his fingers, "Let's talk business then in my office. I believe you have something for me?"

"Oh yeah."

* * *

A/N: I can't resist. Boss must meet Tommy. Vice City is the first game that I had loved, and I still love it. The city, it just made my heart flutter as a child. It was a magical place for me. And don't even get me started about the legen-wait for it-dary Malibu Club. I worked my sweat and blood via Tommy just to buy that thing. Money doesn't pour in your front door there, unlike in Saints Row. No offense guys, but there's no club as crazy as the Malibu even in Stilwater or Steelport.

Although Tommy Vercetti would practically be in his, say late forties to fifties in the twenty first century since Vice City is set in the 1980's, who the fuck cares? Who says I can't make my very first idol meet my favorite gang banger?


	21. 20 - The road not taken

Chapter 20: The roads not taken

"Well, you took your sweet time. So what's in the box, Boss?" Shaundi slurred as she sat up from the back seat, "Damn, those drinks were heavy. You sure you wanna drive?"

"Why, you gonna drive for me?" She said sarcastically as she got on to the driver's seat.

"No, but what's in the box?" Shaundi reached for her hair from the backseat.

"Not much, couple of first-class cigars and designer drugs." She slapped her hand, "I didn't even know we're doing business with this guy."

"Mmm 'kay, Boss. Let's go home already." She fell back. "My hangover's starting."

"Uh, I'm gonna have to just let you hang in there for a little while." She said flatly as she tapped busily on her phone.

"We goin' somewhere?"

"I just have to see someone before we leave."

"Aren't you tired?"

"Not even close." She clicked her earpiece, "Hey Matt, you awake? Need you to find someone here in VC."

* * *

She drove for hours at the unfamiliar highways and bridges of the city, cursing how bad she was with directions even with GPS and all her gadgets. That's one reason why she never left Stilwater. She knew the place like the back of her hand and can even draw a map to a lost tourist if she met one.

The sun was already peaking over the horizon when she finally reached the address she scribbled at the pink tissue paper she got from the bar. The neighborhood was quiet, it was almost six o'clock, people were still on their beds no doubt, especially in a summer paradise like Vice City.

She might be a gang leader, but she had manners at the very least. She had to wait another hour or two to justify ringing the doorbell at a stranger's house. She made it a point that if someday, fate brings her to this city, she'd visit a certain person and finally introduce herself. Now was her chance. Her only chance, to be more precise. She was just a few months away from her deadline.

The Boss looked at the rear view mirror, adjusting it so she can see her tired cold eyes. She reached for the box of wet tissues on the dashboard and wiped her party make-up off her face. She took off the dangling earrings and replaced it with her diamond stud. She put on and took off her ear cuffs a few times, undecided if she should wear one. She combed her hair for about a hundred times before deciding that it was presentable. She wanted to leave the best first impression possible.

The Boss tapped on the steering wheel with her fingers, looking at Shaundi sleeping soundly on the backseat with a blanket. She looked at her watch to see that an hour an a half has already passed.

"Maybe I shouldn't do this." She mumbled to herself. "God, why'd I promise myself to do this in the first place? What if I have the wrong address?" she triple checked the address with the script on the mailbox. "Maybe it's too early. What if she doesn't know me at all? That'd be really embarrassing."

"Boss!" Shaundi said in a hushed voice, "Go do what you need to do already, I'm trying to sleep here."

She sighed before exiting the car. "Okay. Let's do this. I'm just gonna walk there, ring the door bell, and say, 'Hi.', then I'm gonna leave and die in peace." She started walking across the street, towards the two-storey apartment complex.

Half-way through the stairs, the door opened. A middle-aged fair woman came out.

The Boss stopped, eyes wide, unsure whether to continue or to turn her back. It was too late, the older woman saw her. Their eyes met for the first time.

"Can I help you?" The woman said in a friendly tone.

"Uh... I'm... uh..." She stuttered looking back at the car, wondering if it's too late to make a run for it. She looked back at the woman and took the time to examine her features. She's around her late forties or early fifties, yet she is no doubt still beautiful. She had fair skin and short dark brown hair, big icy-blue eyes like hers. A confused but gentle expression on her face. She, on the other hand, had a nervous smile on her lips.

"Are you okay, Miss?" She spoke again.

She took one deep breath and clenched her cold fists. No turning back now. "Well, I don't know how to phrase this properly, but..." She licked her dry lips before continuing, "Approximately, twenty-five years ago, I believe you gave up a child. That's me, twenty-five years later. So, uh... Hi."

The woman's jaw dropped, unable to speak. The Boss waited anxiously.

"Alright, that's that." The Boss exhaled unable to stand the awkward silence, "Well, I'm gonna leave now. Have a nice life." She hurriedly turned her back.

"Wait!" The woman said, "D-do you wanna come in?"

"No, I don't wanna be a bother; I just wanted to see you in person before I die." She continued down the stairs.

"Oh, you're not." She said, "I mean, I at least owe you an explanation."

The Boss stopped at her tracks. She knew she came there for that. She had waited for this day, to hear her mother's possibly shitty reason why she left her wandering in an alleyway when she was three. All her life, she formulated theories in her head.

"Fine. Let's hear it." She turned around to face her.

* * *

The apartment was fully furnished, very homey. That kind of warm and loving home, the type you wanna want to go home in, the one she never had. It was a small and simple apartment, yet for a moment, she felt like she'd trade her penthouse among other properties for a chance to live in a place like this.

"Make yourself at home." The woman had the same sheepish smile as her when she's embarrassed, "You look tired, I'll go make you some coffee."

She sat down at the rose-colored sofa. She gave a moment to look at the living room. A small center table with a bouquet of artificial roses in front of her. Some ceramic figurines of felines and angels were on a display cabinet across the room, along with some picture frames and stacks of photo albums.

She couldn't fight the urge to stand up and look at the framed photographs. Most of them were family photos. There was of course, her biological mother in the picture, a tall man with blonde hair, presumably her husband, and a blonde young woman with bright blue eyes, smiling at every photograph. She was beautiful like a doll, unscarred and unscathed unlike herself. Pictures of their blonde daughter, from birth to adulthood, every milestones, from seventh birthday to prom night, was beautifully framed side by side. A framed high school diploma with a silver medal hanging on it was on one side. Beside it, an obviously old postcard saying, _"You're still our Number One, my princess!"_

The Boss felt like crying at the moment. She felt weak. The blondie in the photograph could've been her life for all she cared. It could've been her, smiling and laughing with her family. She felt it; the stingy needles of envy piercing her repeatedly as her heart beats.

Her mother finally came back with a tray of cookies and two cups of coffee.

"You have a beautiful family, Ma'am" The Boss forced to smile.

"Thank you."

"You're daughter looks... uhh" She felt her mouth move into a frown involuntarily. Her eyes were beginning to water, she couldn't hold back. "Why not me?" The Boss turned to her, "What was so wrong with me that you decided to leave and forget me and start a new life?"

The older woman's face softened, she placed down the tray at the table and approached her. "Nothing, dear, you're perfect."

"You know what? I tell that to myself all the time to make me feel better." She smiled wryly. "And it was a big fat lie."

"It's my fault. I-I couldn't have supported you back then." She sat down on the couch, feeling weak herself, "I was just fifteen when I had you, I couldn't have... I gave you away. It was a mistake-"

"What, getting pregnant with me or leaving me?" She stood in silence for a bit, "That's it? You had twenty-five years to think of a reason why you left me and that's all you came up with? Couldn't you have made up something better so you don't hurt my feelings that much?"

"Whatever I say to you, I know you'll still be mad and it wouldn't b enough." She looked down.

She stood there in silence for a while, trying to calm her nerves. She felt like she was gonna have another panic attack.

"I wasn't mad back then." The Boss bit her lip to stop herself from frowning, "I was scared, and I was lonely, I was fucking three and a half. But I was never mad at you. I remember, I kept on telling myself and the people asking me if I was lost back then, 'she didn't leave me, she'll be back soon, I'm sure' but every time the grandfather clock from the vintage store across the street rings, I tried to keep myself from crying and put on a brave face. And I kept on lying to myself until all the tourists were gone and it was dark and I was alone." Her voice was breaking, "Why? What did I ever do wrong?"

"I'm so sorry..."

"You promised me you'll come back, but you never did." She gritted her teeth, "I waited. Do you have any idea what I've been through just because you decided to leave me there? I've been through hell and back just because of one shitty decision of yours."

The brunette woman sat in silence, looking down at the cup of coffee.

"And now looking at all these," She sniffed, "None of these ever happened to me, you know that? I never even had a cake or anyone at all to celebrate my birthday with until I was like twenty-two. It's everything I ever dreamed of, just a simple life with a family that loves you. But all that was taken away from me in one instant and I have to live through my horrible life instead of hers. You know what I became? My life sucked. Its-It's not fair."

A dead silence ensued between them for a few minutes.

"I was just fifteen when I gave birth to you. It was really scandalous back then when you have a teenage pregnancy, and our family was poor." Her mother said, "I was a working student, trying to juggle you with my studies so I can at least get a degree. I love you, I really do, but it was too much. I had so many things I want to achieve at the moment which weren't possible with a baby." She bit her lip, "So when I finally had enough, I did what I did. And never looked back."

"So were you able to achieve everything you wanted?" The Boss said calmly, finally regaining her composure.

She nodded, "More than what I wanted. I got back to school, graduated, got a job. I was able to get my family out of the poor district and even got my siblings get a degree. Ten years later, I met my husband and got married. We got everything planned out, and it all went well. I lived my dream. But only..."

"Only I wasn't in it." She rubbed her forehead, "Gee, I guess I inherited your sense of conscience, mother." The Boss struggled to put on a smile, "Do you regret it... at all?"

"I know it would seem heartless to say it, but most of the time..." She didn't finish the sentence. They both knew what she meant to say. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment, and yet it was wrong in every sense. I don't know." She let out a sigh, "What would you have done if you were in my shoes?"

She shrugged. "I don't want to believe in mistakes and bad choices, 'coz I think I might have done a lot of unjustifiable ones. Guilt would probably eat me away if I think of it too much." She shook her head, "We all do what we think is right at the moment. And at that very moment, it might actually be the right thing to do." She looked at the woman, "I think the illusion comes when we look back and think of the 'what if's. But most of the time, there was really nothing more to do but play the role given to us."

"Could you ever forgive me?" She placed her hand over hers.

"I'm glad you did well on your second shot at life. At least it didn't all go to waste." She bit her lip, "If you hadn't done what you've done, well... let's just say I would have missed a lot of extraordinary things as well. Yeah, I mean, life was kinda tough on me as always, but looking back, I had lots of fun, actually. But just not the conventional teenager fun you can think of. I lived... differently." A smile curved on her lips.

"I would love to know you, my daughter." The brunette gave a gentle smile, "I know it's a little too late but..."

"Yeah talk about late." She chuckled, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, you could always start by telling me about yourself." She placed her arms around her. "So who are you now?"

"Are you sure? Because it might be to tough to handle when you realize who your daughter has grew up to be." She smirked.

"Let's hear it then."

* * *

She took one step at a time down the stairs outside the two-storey apartment complex down at the unfamiliar suburbs. A sigh escaped her lips and as she reached the generic-looking lawn, she lifted her head to see a man casually leaning over her car.

She chuckled, looking away to hide her swollen eyes, "Geez, what are you doing here?"

"Shaundi called." Gat held up his phone. "Yeah, she was a little hysterical on the phone saying she's in your car in some place she doesn't know because you left her there and asked... no- demanded me to pick her up coz you might be in trouble, so here I am to rescue you from your mom's house."

"Sorry, it was kind of a spontaneous thing, you know how I am." She smiled apologetically, covering her face as she walked towards him, "I'm fine, I just needed to see someone before I leave the city. Might never come back, ya know?"

"Were you crying?" He asked.

"No, I'm just... yeah." The Boss let out a dry laugh. "'Sorry."

"Stop saying sorry to me. It's... creepy to hear you say something unusual. Come here." He pulled her in an embrace, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "You know you should've introduced me to your mom. I bet she'll like me."

"Shut up." She sniffed. "She's gonna get a heart attack when she finds out that her daughter's dating someone like you."

"Oh, didn't she already when she found out you were her daughter?" He chuckled, stroking her red hair. "I know I would."

She laughed, "I was afraid of that too. Thank God she didn't."

"You really told her you were a gang leader?"

"Yep."

"Everything? What did she say?"

"Might have left out a few details." She smirked. "Like killing my old Boss, killing for fun, and most of the really brutal things we do."

They smiled at each other. "So how's your night-out with Shaundi?" He said after seeing that she's back to her usual self.

"Crazy. It's been a long night." She smiled, "We've been bar-hopping from one city to another until Shaundi was drunk enough not to walk at all, I got hit on by the city's crime lord, and I spent the first five hours of my day looking for my biological mother's apartment. And... here we are."

"Tommy fucking Vercetti was hitting on you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yah." She pulled away. "Problem Mr. Gat?"

"The _Tommy Vercetti?_"

"Yeah, he bought me a drink and asked me if I wanna go to his place." She shrugged.

"I'm gonna kill Pierce for sending you here."

"Ooh, can't take on the _Harwood Butcher_, can we?" She teased. "Yeah, seeing he has a really high defined mobster body count, I guess he's pretty tough."

"Damn, don't try me, Boss." Gat said, "I can very much drive to his estate right now and kick his Italian ass, believe me."

"I bet you would." She let out a laugh, "But don't worry, I turned him down. Told him I already have an ill-tempered, gun-blazing man. Seriously, I don't think I can take another."

"Damn straight, you do." He kissed her forehead making her giggle a little.

"Hey Gat." She whispered after a short while.

"Hm?"

"Did you ever think of life outside the gang?" She said, a little hesitant, "I mean, something like this. Just, normal lives." She pointed around the peaceful suburb. "I mean, did you ever thought of what your life could be if you didn't join the Saints?"

"Sometimes, I guess. But I honestly, don't think I can survive a day without my gun, I mean, this is the game I know how to play and win." He chuckled, "And if I wasn't in the Saints, I think I might be in prison, or dead in some alleyway from a fist fight. I was a delinquent even when I was young."

The Boss let out a laugh, "I can't imagine you doing paper works behind an office desk." She gazed into his eyes as she smiled, "I wonder where we would be in another life. Or if we would even meet in a world where Julius didn't create the Saints."

"It's a small world. Yeah... We'll meet." He leaned to briefly press his lips onto hers, "I'll find you, that's for sure."

She licked her lip before pulling him by the collar to kiss him.

"Hey love birds! Can we go home now?" Shaundi yelled as she opened the car's window, interrupting their moment, "Don't you feel awkward making out in front of your parent's house? Geez, Boss! Go get a room!"

They sighed in unison as they looked at the female lieutenant roll her eyes at them.

* * *

A/N: I've been edging to write this for months. Yay. Sorry, been busy. Really busy. Next chap will not be up soon. Exam week every week. R&R!


	22. 21 - Not the right time

A/N: Hey yo. It's a flashback chapter explaining approximately when the Boss found out... ah just read on. Too lazy to explain.

* * *

Chapter 21: Not the right time

"Who the fuck are these guys?" The Boss yelled at the top of her lungs as she pointed to the hoard of Syndicate goons waiting for them outside Planet Saints, "We can't even have some quality time without brandishing guns!"

"I think the real question is what the hell is that thing?" Pierce pointed his pistol on the two giant slowly making their way inside the shop. They were steadily picking up pace.

"I don't care! Shoot it! Shoot it!" She said hysterically, noticing they were closer than she would've wanted.

The brute charged towards the two Saints. They jumped out of the way just in time.

"Holy shit. Let's bail." Pierce looked at the wall half-wrecked by the impact of the brutes to it.

"No way." She pulled out her GDHC from her tailored black suit. She loosened her purple tie as she cocked her gun, "Nobody wrecks my property."

"Seriously, Boss?" He eyed the brutes groaning and slowly getting up, "Let's just build another. We got enough cash."

"If you wanna go, GO." She said coldly. "Hey, you giant idiots! Over here!"

She fired a bullet to its head. The brutes shrugged it off. Both Pierce and the Boss' jaw fell.

"Well, fuck." She let out a nervous laugh, "Okay, you're right for the first time. Let's go."

"Oh, now you wanna go with my plans?"

"I didn't know it were bullet resistant!" She yelled as they ran past the Morningstars outside, dodging bullets as they go. The giant still following closely behind them. For someone with that size, it sure was pretty quick. If the Saints hadn't been accustomed to running fast, they would have been caught easily.

"Boss, let's split." He yelled.

"Right, you handle Hulk and I kill the normal people." She said, still running. Stopping for one second might result to her death.

"What—No!"He scowled, "Whoever it follows deals with it."

"What if it follows me? I don't have a great master plan to defeat it."

"I don't know. You're the type who don't obey plans anyway."

"Ugh. Fine." She rolled her eyes, "Let's split. Ready?"

They ran opposite each other. The brute followed the Boss. It was just a meter away from her and still gaining momentum.

"FUCK MY LIFE!" She yelled as she slid over a Morningstar car's hood. She wasn't even half past it when the brute got a hold of it and flipped it, making her stumble on the cold concrete. "Fuck. FUCK! FUCK YOU!"

She quickly regained her composure and aimed her gun on the giant, firing the whole clip on it. It didn't do her much good. The brute reached for her, lifting her from her neck, completely off the ground.

The Boss threw her empty gun to the brutes head as it effortlessly swung her around before throwing her like a rag doll on the brick wall no less than five feet from where she was.

Her bones made a snapping sound as she impacted on the wall. She hit the ground soon enough. Groaning and cursing, she struggled to get up. A double vision was hindering her actions. Her head was spinning, throbbing as she felt a trickle of blood crawl down from her temple which hit the wall. The worst part is the brute was coming her way again.

He lifted her in the air one more time, crushing her body against the wall. She showed a bloody smile as she reached for her other GDHC in her blazer and pressed it on the brute's eye. Without hesitation, she squeezed the trigger, emptying her clip again. The brute fell to the ground, dragging her body down as well.

"Boss!" Pierce yelled, finishing off the last of the goons, "You okay?"

Unable to talk, she raised her hand and gave him a thumbs-up. She crawled her way out of the rubble and the fallen giant, coughing all the way.

"Hey, Boss, are you sure you're okay?" Pierce sprinted towards her after making sure, no one was left standing. He placed his hand over her shoulder. She swatted it off while still lying on the ground.

Blood splattered on the concrete under her. Some dripping from her forehead, but mostly from her mouth. She covered her mouth, after noticing it, but only to cough out even more.

"Holy—Boss!" His voice sounded muffled to her. Her eyes began to dim at every drop of blood that leaves her body.

She blacked out.

* * *

"Boss! You're awake!" Pierce yelled. Hysteria was evident in his voice.

"What?" She shook her head. "Am I in the hospital? Not again. I hate hospitals!"

"What the hell happened there? You don't usually puke your guts out after a fight."

"Well maybe it's not _usual_ for me to be thrown around like a piece of meat by a steroid giant."She slumped back, feeling nauseous again. "What happened?"

"You blacked out in your pool of blood." He adjusted the rim of his hat, a hint of disgust on his face as he pictured the scene again, "Doctors scanned your head, just to be sure."

"Be sure I don't have brain damage? I think that's a bit too late." She closed her eyes smiling.

The white door swung open and a woman in a lab coat came in with a clipboard with many papers.

"Well? Am I dying or what?" She said jokingly, eyes still closed.

"I have some good news and some bad news." The woman said.

"Shoot."

"Good news is, you don't have any skull fracture or any critical injury; just a shoulder dislocation, nothing we can't fix. I'm sure you're already used to these." She said plainly.

"And the bad news?" Pierce said.

"We reviewed you x-rays and I'm afraid we had found a tumor."

"What, in my head?" She looked confused.

"Yes," She took out an x-ray plate and showed it to them, "It's at the back of your head, in your brainstem, between your-"

"Uh, don't go technical. I won't get it anyway." She cut the woman off, "So what does it mean?"

"I'm sorry. It means you have brain cancer and that you're gonna need to be treated and confined here for a few more days."

"What? No!" The Boss shot up. "I can't be cooped up in here. Not right now. Not until Loren and every one of his goons are six feet under."

"Boss, calm down." Pierce stood up, "Is it serious? I mean, what's gonna happen?"

"We need to run a few more test." She sighed, "Treatment should be done immediately for this not to get worse. It's possible to be treated but, the position of the tumor is really hard to excise without risk of permanent brain damage. And chemotherapy might work, but then again, it's a tough spot to treat without possible side effects."

The room grew silent, aside from the beeping from the machine.

"Nope. I can't stay here." The Boss said as soon as the doctor left the room, pulling out the needles sticking on her arm and hand, "I got a score to settle. I can handle this thing."

"But Boss, this is dangerous." Pierce said. "Rest for a bit, will you, and try to absorb this for a little while before you decide on things. She just told us that you have cancer. People die from that shit."

"I don't have time to be sick, Pierce." She frowned, pulling the covers, "God, I don't even have time to cry or check on Gat. I'm too busy not trying to get us all killed, okay?"

"You don't have to do this, Boss. Go back to Stilwater and let us handle this."

"Oh, you think you and Shaundi can fight the Syndicate on your own?" She chuckled as she buckled her shoes. "Well, think again. Loren's gang is tougher and more clever than any other gang we fought."

He sighed, "Stubborn as ever." He whispered, "Listen, I'm just trying to say, don't be so reckless, Boss. We can't lose you as well."

"I know what I'm doing, Pierce. Don't worry." She said as she looked down on her feet, "Now, if you could help me get up and get me a wheel chair. I can't feel my legs."

"Fine." He threw his hands in the air.

"And Pierce," She said, "Don't tell anyone."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I mean it. Don't fucking tell anyone. Not Shaundi. Not some random stripper. Not your parents. Not Gat, even if he's not conscious. Not anyone. Not a single soul that walks this earth, you understand?" She stressed every word, "Don't make anyone else worry, alright-y?"

"Okay, Boss. But one condition." Pierce smiled.

"What?"

"You'll take care of yourself. Tone down the weird driving and fighting stunts."

"But I like playing with my Kaneda." She pouted.

"No means no."

"What are you my dad?"She smiled, "Well, at least that's what usual fathers say. The guy who adopted me says, 'Shut the fuck up and before I lock you at the back of my car again!'"

"Heh, no wonder you so screwed up." Pierce laughed, "Hey, if there's anything..."

"I know." She smiled. "Now let's get out of here."

* * *

"Boss! Where have you been?" Shaundi said irritated.

"Uh... Went shopping and encountered some of Loren's men." She said plainly, rubbing her sore temples.

"How can you go shopping while this is going on?" The female lieutenant exclaimed.

"Shaundi, you don't know what's going on so shut-" Pierce interjected.

"PIERCE." The Boss said sternly. She glared at him, shutting him up instantly.

"Whatever, you two." Shaundi walked out of the cramped apartment. "God, I feel like I'm the only one here who gives a fuck on things around here."

* * *

A/N: This chap was set in the uhh... can't remember the title but the one where the Boss and Pierce sang What I got. Gawd, I love that song.

And that's that. Next chap will prolly be a flashback chap again. Read and review!


	23. 22 - Am I really dying?

A/N: Last night I uploaded the chap but FF screwed with the formatting and I didn't know how to fix it. So, apologies. Here we go, uploading it again. :D

* * *

Chapter 22: Am I really dying?

She leaned unsteadily on the white walls off the endless hospital corridor. Cold sweat was beading on her forehead. She felt sick inside and out. She felt like she was gonna hurl at any moment. Still, she continued to take little steps once in a while when she feels her stomach settling for a second.

"I can't freakin' fight the Syndicate like this." She mumbled to herself.

If Shaundi knew what she was going through, she'd probably say that her boss had just proven to everyone that she's a light weight. Had she known that the doctors were serious when they said that she'd feel sick after a session of chemotherapy, she had not have taken the risk.

_Not now_, she thought. _I don't have time to feel like this. I mean, what if the HQ gets attacked while I'm baked like this? It's gonna be Loa Dust all over again._ She shook her head as she remembered the time when she got high on the Samedi General's limo and she had to run, since she kept crashing the car she got on, five blocks to reach the Purgatory which was under attack. All that while she was dosed up to the eyeballs and is being shot at by the thugs in green and a couple of cops. Shaundi could've died if she didn't make it in time. And yet she teases her about the incident until this day.

She managed to take a few more steps and reach for the doorknob next to her. She twisted it weakly, opening the door, revealing a generic hospital room. A constant beeping from the machine wired to a man lying on the bed; Her second-in-command, her best friend; The man she trusts the most; The man she's expecting to fight beside her now more than ever; Her trump card in every fight, was still lying unconscious.

She pulled a chair towards the bed and sat idly, looking at his blank expression. She opened her mouth to talk, but she felt awkward just imagining talking to him and him not making any inappropriate remark or even a scoff to answer her. He would always say something clever to her when she tells him her worries and problems that would make her laugh and ultimately forget what she was trying to say in the first place.

She also had an irrational fear that if she tells him she's sick, then he might remember it when he wakes up and just worry about her excessively. He was always over-protective, always asking her to take a break from fighting at the first sign of a fever or a headache, even when the greatest battles are being fought. She smiled, remembering how he'd scold her whenever she refuses to go home and rest. _Go Boss, I can handle this. I can take 'em._

He'd always say that to tell her off. He had always been too arrogant, thinking he can handle everything by himself. Maybe that's the reason he's laid out in a coma at the moment. She frowned at him as she thought of the time when he told her to leave him and escape the plane with Shaundi.

She gritted her teeth. _You arrogant prick.. I could've stayed on the plane and we could've already killed Loren then. But nooo, we have to be idiots and let you fight alone to let us escape. Jerk, now you're comatose and I'm out here fighting alone. _She squeezed his hand instead, and rested her head on the bed. _You have no idea how much I hate you right now for not being awake at a time like this so fuckin' wake up already, Gat. I really need you right now._

Feeling drowsy, she closed her eyes for a moment. It's not too long when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket again.

She pulled it out with her free hand to see another text from Shaundi._ "Where the hell are you, Boss? You better be doing something important or you're DEAD."_

_Dead?_ She pondered on the word. _If I die, what would happen? Would people start dancing on the streets to rejoice the death of a gang leader? Would it even mean anything to anybody?_ She felt her heart go fast. All of a sudden, it was harder to breathe. _I'm not ready to die yet. No. I can't. I just can't. Why is this happening to me? A punishment? I only did what I had to do to protect what's mine. _Her grip went a notch tighter on his hand. She felt her body stiffen as she tried to calm herself. Short and rugged breathes escaped her lips. _How can I protect my people when I'm like this? When I'm dead? What the fuck is gonna happen to the Saints? Last time I was out of the game everything collapsed! I can't have that in my conscience. No. I can't fucking die. This isn't real. They had it wrong—Holy fuck they did. No. No, please. _

She felt her eyes begin to water. She felt hopeless. She felt helpless. It's not an enemy easy to kill or defeat. Not exactly the problem she's used to confronting. _Really, what do I have to do for this to go away? Because I would fucking do anything for a little bit of extension._

After a few minutes, she managed to recover from her panic attack. She finally stood up after calming her nerves. She bent down to plant a kiss on his cheekbone to say goodbye, _Better wake up, Gat, before I lose my mind over this cancer thing._

* * *

Her icy blue eyes were fixed on the elegant chandelier hanging in the high ceiling of the Purgatory. She leaned over the stone railings over looking the atrium down below.

"Boss?" Johnny called her, noticing her unusually serious expression. "Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath, not bothering to turn and face him. "Gat, it's time. Assemble the Saints. Be ready in an hour."

"Time for what?" He raised an eyebrow.

She didn't reply. A smirk made its way to her face as she looked down on the Saints below. _Her priced possessions._

* * *

A/N: Guess who's busy? ME. Read and Review.


	24. 23 - Promoted

A/N: Whew, I had a very busy week. So busy that I can't even update my story even though this chap was sitting in my laptop for ages. Sorry.

First part's a flashback. Because I love flashbacks. Haha

* * *

Chapter 23: Promoted

"Ready to take back our city, Gat?" She smiled like the devil himself as she look down from the broken balcony of what would soon become their soon to be revived gang's hideout.

Both their eyes were locked on the dirty pavement of the underground old city that Ultor built over after a massive earthquake a few years back. Now, it's home to homeless people and some druggies too stoned to remember how to get out.

"Ready when you are, _Boss_." He said calmly, checking his gun.

She blinked a couple of times before glaring at him, "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me." Gat said adjusting his glasses and cocking his gun. "And keep your voice down, this is an ambush so don't fucking yell at the top of your lungs."

"What? I'm not gonna run this gang." Her high-pitch voice was still rising.

"Well, did you expect me to be the leader? Come on, you know I'm no good at that. I just shoot things I want... and whoever Julius points at."

"What—That's not-" Her voice echoed throughout the underground city.

"Intruder!" One of the vagrants shouted. "They're gonna kill us all!"

"See? I told you not to make a big deal of this."

"What do you mean don't make a big deal? You just told me I'm gonna be a gang leader." The red head shot back.

"What's so wrong about that?" They dodged a tin can threw at them by one of the junkies. "Hey, do you mind? I'm gonna kill you later so wait in line."

"Ugh, this is so stressful." She drew out a handgun she picked from a cop in the courthouse. And fired a warning shot just a few steps from the man. "Shut the fuck up, motherfucker! We're deciding my future here."

Two vagrants came climbing the stairs towards them. A rusty knife was in their shaky hands. Soon, they picked up the pace and rushed towards the two. She rushed to meet them.

"You got more experience in gang shit." She yelled as she caught the man's arm and twisted it, making him scream in pain.

"Yeah, but you organize things better." Johnny smiled as he shot the man's shoulder twice. "Julius wants you to take over anyway."

"He said that?" She said with a little smile on her face as she drove the knife onto one of the men's abdomen before pulling it out and throwing it to another.

"No, but it's so obvious he's grooming you to be the boss. You're his... What's the word?" He said calmly, as he reloaded his gun. "Protégée."

"Yo, conserve ammo. We don't own a freakin' armory, ya know?" She yelled as she heard the several shots from Johnny.

"See, you're the responsible one." He yelled back and made his way downstairs, deeper on the abandoned city, shooting at anyone in the way. "And probably more mature than me in most aspects."

"I-I'm not!"

"Yes, you are, _Boss_."He yelled, stressing on the almost awkward name. "And I can cite at least ten examples."

"Stop calling me that." She threw the last man on the makeshift house. "Alright, can we at least have some systematic way on deciding this? Coz this is kind of a big thing: leading a gang."

"Wanna have a votation?" He smiled as he looked around to see if anyone else was standing. "Cause I'll definitely vote for you."

She sighed, "Dex was right. You're a royal pain in the ass." She dusted her ripped jeans with her hands. "Look, I'm no Julius." She looked down. "I'm not sure I can do this. I might just disappoint you and our non-existent gang."

They made their way to the dusty atrium. A bon fire in the middle lit the entire room and a grand but broken staircase in front. Drug paraphernalia and beer bottles were scattered everywhere.

"Well, I ain't him either." Gat sat on the worn out sofa in the middle of the atrium.. "But at least now, we know we won't be bombing each other in a yacht any time soon."

She tried not to laugh, feeling inappropriate to laugh at her own demise. A smile formed in her lips instead, trying to stop herself from laughing. She dropped down beside him. "You're really stubborn. I don't know how the heck Julius puts up with that attitude of yours."

"I can tell you, my attitude will be the least of your problems when you become the leader. I'll be right behind you all the way."

"Do you promise to be at your best behavior then?" She leaned towards him.

"Is that a yes?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Depends. Is that a yes to my question too?" She mimicked the tone.

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Checkmate, _Boss_." Gat gave him a wide smile. "You're the boss."

"No." She said flatly.

"Ugh. Just give up and be the leader already!" He pulled back.

"Well, why don't you?"

"Because..." He chuckled.

"See? We both don't want this, so stop pushing it on me."

"Well, somebody's gonna have to do the job. "

"Can't we like have equal footing on this thing?" She crossed her arm.

"Heh, a partnership in a gang? Never works, trust me." He scoffed, "There has to be one leader, and the other should be the second or the right hand. It confuses everyone. We'll end up power tripping on each other."

"God, we're both Julius' primary gun men." She sighed, "I've always figured Troy or Dex would take over since they always come up with the gang's strategy and plans and gives commands."

"Never knew it would be the two of us in the end either."

They both slumped back on the couch, looking at the high, unpainted ceiling. It looked like it was going to collapse.

"Got an idea." She said as she dug to her pocket.

"What?"

She drew out a quarter and held it up, "Let's leave this to fate so I can go to Freckle Bitch's once and for all. Toss coin."

"And you'll immediately accept being the leader if I win?"

"Yeah, after I cry and spew every curse word I know in every language on a coin for about an hour." She chuckled. "If it's meant to be then, I'll go with it. But if I win, you have give your best in leading this gang."

He took a deep breath. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Heads, you take the lead. Tails, I'm gonna have to get used to you calling me 'Boss'" She placed the coin on her thumb, ready to fling it in the air any moment.

"Yeah, I got to get used to referring to you as 'Boss' instead of 'the red-head bitch' or 'that weird kid who doesn't talk much'."

"What? You call me that?" She glared at him. "I'm so gonna ban you for using your guns for a week when I become the leader."

"Geez, I was kidding. You're a dictator." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Why don't you tell me your name if it's such a big deal what I call you?"

"My... uh..." She shook her head, "Never mind, call me anything you want. Let's just do this."

The coin flipped several times in the air before landing on the concrete just a few inches from the fire. It was decided.

They both took a deep breath before looking at the bronze coin on the ground.

_And the rest was history._

* * *

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" The Boss clapped her hands as she climbed the grand staircase of the Purgatory, stopping just in front of the marble angel.

Everyone dropped what they were doing and looked at her. Whenever she calls their attention, they know it's usually something big. Either she's waging a war on some gang or she's giving some important order for everybody.

She cleared her throat, "We all know my time is coming to an end. I'm definitely getting worse at the moment and if the doctor's prediction is accurate, in a few months, I'll probably be gone." She looked at her lieutenants, majority of them were here, scattered all over the place. "It would be unpredictable. Any time soon. And that would leave the Saints without a leader. That means we, I mean, you guys, would be vulnerable. You know our enemies, ready to strike at the first sign of the gang's weakness."

There was some buzzing from the crowd, wondering what she is getting at.

"Gat, what's she gonna do?" Pierce whispered to him.

"I don't know what the hell she's doing." He squinted his eyes. "I'm just as clueless as you guys."

"So from this day forth..." She took a deep breath, "I'm stepping down as the leader of this gang."

Gasps and shocked faces came from the Saints, from everyone in the Purgatory.

"Is this serious?" "What's happening?" "What's gonna happen to us?"

She raised her hand silencing the whole room. "I believe it would be best to have a proper transition while I'm still here, rather than to have the position vacant for a while after... I'm dead." She said spontaneously, "And so, I am now officially appointing Johnny Gat as your new leader. You will now answer to his commands as you do to me. All my power and authority over the gang would now be his."

All eyes were on their new leader. They began cheering and congratulating him.

He was speechless. Gat's jaw just dropped involuntarily. The bottle of cold beer almost slipped from his grip as he heard her words. He felt people's eyes boring into him but he was just staring at her. Their eyes met for a moment, trying to communicate, but she just smiled and looked back at the crowd.

"The Saints legacy will continue, no matter who the leader is." She stood regally, looking at everyone with a confident smile, "No matter what happens, we would stay true to our principles; Protecting our city from any motherfucker who tries to destroy or corrupt it, may it be new gangs, bad cops, corrupt politicians, no exceptions." The Saints cheered even more, "It's our time now, and will always be." She paused look at everyone, "Let's get this shit started."

* * *

A/N: Whew, what do you think? Teehee :) Read and review!


	25. 24 - Payback

A/N: Don't blame me. My internet connection won't let me upload! #reasons #kidding

* * *

Chapter 24: Payback

"Boss!" Johnny yelled pushing past the Saints scattered on the atrium of the Purgatory.

She turned her head. She had a playful smile on her face before she started running.

"What the fuck..." Gat sighed as he began running, chasing after the red head.

She dashed past all the Saints lounging on the purple corridors of the Purgatory. Johnny lagged a few feet behind her.

"Yo! Stop running!"

"Stop chasing me then." She said half-laughing.

"What? You're the one who bolted out on me." Johnny frowned as he struggled to catch up to her.

Her boots squealed as she made a sharp turn to the next corridor. Her eyes shimmered as the elevator ding-ed open. She passed a few Saints exiting the elevator.

The Boss frowned as she saw Gat's hand stop the elevator doors from closing.

"Seriously what the fuck, Boss?" Johnny panted as he stepped into the elevator shaft. "Damn knee. I hope Big Tony is burning in hell right now."

"You know he is." A sly grin came over her face, "Surprised? Just a little payback for what you did a few years back."

"How can you even do this to me?"

"Do what?"

"Come on, don't fucking play dumb." He rubbed his forehead.

The elevator ding-ed again and opened to the garage full of luxury cars, monster trucks, motorcycles and a few tanks.

"You're the second-in-command. What did you expect?" She said casually walking ahead of him. "We talked about this already. When I die-"

"But you're not dead yet!" He cut her off.

"Didn't you listen to a single word I said inside? It's better like this. There'd be no gap in the leadership." She opened the door of her black Bezier. "What's wrong with you?"

He slammed the car door shut. She glared at him.

"Sorry. I'm just really panicking." He chuckled, backing away, "I don't know how to do this thing like you do".

She leaned against the car, crossing her arms across her chest before letting out a sigh. "Calm the fuck down. I know you can pull this off."

"And what if I can't?"

"I don't know. I'll be dead then, I don't care." She said sternly.

"Boss!" He scolded her.

"I was kidding." She let out a laugh, "You can do this. You've taken over the gang once in a while before right? You did great." She patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Yeah, but only because I know you're there to, you know, fix things if ever I screw up. I know you'd be back." He sighed, "It's so much easier to do things because we all know that you'll be there to pull miracles out of nowhere and solve everything. We know you'd always come up with something. You always do. I don't know how you do these things, Boss."

She looked down and smiled inwardly. "To be honest, I never knew I could pull off this whole gang leader thing either when we began reviving the gang. It's just so surreal. I was too far from Julius or King. They were so mature and so professional, and I'm like... me." She shrugged, "Besides the fact of being a woman in a man's world, I'm not exactly the authoritative-type of person. I'd rather be ordered around than give people orders. That's why even as the leader, I still do things lieutenants or regular Saints should like taking over hoods or attacking enemy bases, besides the fact that I enjoy it, that is."

"All those times, I was trying to think how Julius talked to us, how he ran the gang." She looked away, remembering their faces, "But then again, I'm not him. I screwed up a lot too. People died because I'm immature and stupid and greedy. But in the end, I think I was able to pull it off because I got the right people on my side."

She looked at him, "If there's one ironic thing Julius has taught me, it's about trust." She said sternly, "Leading a gang is a two way street. Your people trust you, and in turn, you should also trust them. Your people will always look up to you and try to find their strength in you. And you, the leader, on the other hand, will have to find your strength in them. You'd support each other. Trust each other." She gave him a sweet smile, "That's why even when I screw up, I know I can count on you guys to pick me up. I always trust that you guys will scold me whenever I fuck up big time, or cheer me up when I feel low." She sighed, "The strength of this gang is in its people. Use it to your advantage."

"Boss..." He said.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head. "I'm not the boss anymore, remember?"

"Nah, you'll always be my boss even when I'm in charge." He smiled, "As your new boss, I say I can call you whatever I want. And I want to call you Boss."

"That mean you're accepting it?" She mused.

"Do I even have a fuckin' choice?" He scoffed, "You fucking made it a press conference back there. I bet it'll be in the evening news! Now, I can't take five steps in the Purgatory without anyone congratulating me. Fuck it. No turning back now."

She smiled sheepishly before planting a kiss on his cheek, "Thanks."

"I never thought you know how to say that." He raised his eyebrows.

"You asshole," She laughed as she opened the door again. "Well, I'll see you later..." She paused and looked at him dead straight, "_Boss_."

"Hey, don't call me that." Gat said.

"Payback, I told you!" She opened her window sticking out her tongue before speeding away.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's that. Read and review


	26. 25 - Chill Days

A/N: I accidentally deleted this chapter a few day back. It had been ready for weeks but I never got the time to upload. And then... *cries in a corner*. Anyway, here you go. I did my best.

* * *

Chapter 25: Chill days

"Yo can this joke be over already?" Johnny said as he slumped back to the couch, placing an arm over the Boss' shoulder. "Be the boss again. This is really not my thing."

She just shrugged as she took a small bite on the apple she was holding.

"Boss, come on." He shook her a little. "I don't know what to do with all those papers. I never realized we had so many... businesses."

The Boss loved owning everything around her. Julius once told her that she has the tendency to be really greedy. She wanted the world to revolve around her finger. Owning local and non-local businesses was one way of doing that. Because owning them means having power over them. At least that's what she understood in King's best-selling book.

"Just read 'em and sign 'em. It's easy." She hugged her knees. Her pale eyes still focused on the flat screen TV airing a re-run of Nyte Blade.

"You read them before?" He rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Jesus. Why are you watching Josh Birk on TV while I'm suffering from the pile of paperwork you left me?"

"Well, Birk's acting is hilarious. And the stunts are crazy, over the top. I mean, like anyone actually does a triple backflip before shooting." She shook her head, "Nope, I didn't read a word of it."

"Is it safe if I don't read it too?" He chuckled.

"You have all the time in the world, just read it." Her eyes were still fixed on the show, "It's not like you're gonna die in a month's time or anything."

"Shut up. Stop saying things like that so casually." Gat sighed, "You want me to read it, I'll read it. Fuck it, being a leader is such a drag."

"Well, you should've been the leader long ago, but since I was nice enough, I took the job for a little longer." She smiled, "You have no idea how relieved I am right now. I feel so free of responsibilities."

"Damn straight. You passed everything to me."

"It's the advantage of being sick." She smirked, holding her head and feigning a pained expression, "Oh, my head hurts just thinking of being the boss again. Gat, you should carry on being the leader. I don't think I can hold on any longer..."

"Ah shut up. How can you even use that to your advantage?" He scoffed.

She shrugged, fixing her eyes back to the television.

The elevator ding-ed a few commercials later. Pierce walked in, wearing his usual white suit and hat.

"He~ey!" Pierce half-sang.

"What do you want Pierce?" Johnny looked up.

"What's with you? Stressed out? It's only been a week." Pierce grinned, "Nice for you to finally have a little taste of what me and the Boss experience in handling our businesses."

"Hey, this is more than a little." He adjusted his glasses. "My table is filled with assorted papers I'm supposed to read and understand and sign, and the phone keeps on ringing, and people keep coming and there's not enough beer... It's like my personal hell."

"Relax. You'll get used to it." The Boss said reassuringly. "When I became the leader, we got nothing. We don't even have a base. And believe me, that was a bit harder than this."

"Ugh, I still don't like it." He dropped his head. "I wish a gang war would break out again. Then I could just kill people and relax."

"I doubt anyone would dare to challenge the Saints." She said, "Especially now that it's lead by _the _Johnny Gat."

"Yeah, I mean. Who would be crazy enough?" Pierce added. "Philippe and the Syndicate only attacked us because we messed with them first."

"Philippe and his Syndicate can go to hell." Johnny said coldly. "They deserved that."

"Whatever you say, Boss." She said.

"What did you just call me?"

"Problem?" She said casually.

"Fuck you. Don't call me 'Boss'."

"But it's confusing." The red head looked at him, "I'm not the leader anymore. From now on, I'm just a regular Saint. Not even a lieutenant-"

"From now on, you are my lieu-"

"Don't you dare make me a lieutenant." She cut him off, making a point to glare at him.

"Second?" Gat asked.  
"No." She said sternly. "Just a regular, low ranking Saint. Right where I started when I joined the gang. That's how I want to end it."

There was a few seconds of silence in the room. Only the distant laughter of the Saints in the adjacent room and the buzzing of the television served as the background noise in the room.

"Well, I don't know what to call you anymore." Pierce broke the silence.

"Yeah, Boss." Gat added, "Wanna tell us your name now?"

"My...uh... Goddamn loophole!" She cursed under her breath. "I'm uhh... getting you a cold beer? You want one right?"

She stood up abruptly, making her way to the bar, to her escape.

"Oh come on!" The two men said in unison.

* * *

A/N: Okay, here we go. It isn't exactly what I wrote the first time but it's a little better. :)))


	27. 26 - Something Unsaid

A/N: Heyyo! I'm back. Let me just say that I am not so good at naming things, besides muscles and bones in the body. Yeah, that's my talent. Point a part of your body and I'll tell you what muscle's in there. I'll even tell you what it does. LOL. But I can't name characters that well. When I play Sims, I just type random letters as their names. *sigh*  
Anywho...

* * *

Chapter 26: Something unsaid

He drove as fast as he can, drifting and scratching cars from the opposing lanes. He pulled over in front of the building, leaving skid marks behind the car. Slamming the door of the silver Wraith he randomly took from the garage. It's probably Pierce's, but who cares. He walked out in quite a hurry.

"Hey John-" Shaundi stood up immediately as she saw him enter the room.

"Boss, you alright?" Gat shoved the attending nurse away from her bed, completely ignoring the other Saint.

She slowly removed the oxygen mask over her face, giving him a sheepish and quite apologetic smile. She was still wearing her usual outfit, though her red hair was down and a bit messed up as if she just woke up.

"Hey... You... uh... I forgot how good you look in a suit." She said smilingly, completely avoiding the question. "Real classy. Like a mob boss. Like the Godfather or somewhere along those lines."

"Please, I look good on everything... and also with nothing on." He smirked for a moment but it quickly faded, "Alright, now stop stalling and answer my question."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She said reassuringly. "I just felt a little faint while driving, that's all. Guess I got a little dizzy and blacked out for a second so I wasn't able to hit the brakes on time. Reaction time kinda sucks. Haha."

"A little faint my ass." He frowned, examining the small concussion on her forehead.

"No really, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me." The Boss said dismissively. "Don't you have a meeting with Ultor or something?"

"Fuck Ultor." He said sternly making Shaundi snicker at the corner.

"Don't say that. We need them for the Saints'-" She said, a bit breathlessly.

"Then fuck the Saints. You're far more important than any of that." Gat sighed. "Stop being so fucking careless all the time."

"Yeah, you tell her Gat." Shaundi crossed her arms across her chest.

"Shut up Shaundi. I swear, I leave her with you for more than one fucking minute, and all hell breaks loose."

"Hey. Not my fucking fault she's a danger magnet." She threw her hands up.

"Alright you two, stop arguing." The Boss interjected before breathing through her oxygen again, "Can you get me out of here already?"

"The doctors said you should rest for a bit more." Shaundi said nonchalantly, as if she had been repeating it to her for a million times already.

"But I hate hospitals." She looked at Gat, trying to get a little sympathy. She took his hand, nudging on it lightly. "Come on, get me out of here."

"Ugh, such a spoiled brat." He said under his breath. "Boss, if we let you out, you're gonna run around the fucking city again."

"No I won't." She said. "I'll take the day off."

"I've heard that before, Boss." Shaundi sat on her bed, "I know you can't stand sitting at home all day. You're that kind of person who just can't sit still for five minutes. What do you call that?"

"Awesome?" The Boss tilted her head.

"No. ADHD. Yeah, that one." Shaundi chuckled, "I bet you had ADHD when you were younger."

"I didn't have ADHD as a child, I swear." She crossed her arms, "Or so I think."

"They say it could develop to anti-social personality." Shaundi shrugged, grinning. "Like you."

"Jesus, what are you, my psychiatrist?"

"Please, I can get you better things than your shrink. My stash can take you places you never imagined."

"...So can you get me out, Doctor Shaundi?" She smiled sheepishly.

"Let's go ask our new boss."

"Shut up. Not you too, Shaundi." Johnny sighed.

"Gat?" She smiled innocently. Her icy blue eyes were sparkling like snow globes. She knew exactly how to get on his good side.

"Ugh, fine." He turned his back, frustrated at his decision.

"Johnny!" Shaundi exclaimed much with dismay.

"But you don't get to drive... at all."

"But..."

"That's final." He turned to Shaundi, "Shaundi, get the doctors and let's get the Boss outta here."

"Yes Sir!" Shaundi gave him a salute.

"Stop doing that!" He yelled as she scrammed out of the room.

* * *

"I'll drive!" The Boss raced towards the driver's seat, opening the door.

Johnny slammed it shut before she could even react.

"You just love doing that, don't you?"

"You're getting slow, Boss." He chuckled, "A few years back, and you could've punched me before I could even touch the car."

"Well, they said my brain thing might do that." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'm still good to drive."

"I'm not taking any risks." Gat yanked her wrist, dragging her to the opposite side of the silver Wraith parked not-so-properly on the driveway, "I'm not planning on dying from a vehicular accident. I mean, seriously, that's pretty lame."

"I'm not that bad."

"Says the girl who constantly drives off to the river." He said. "I bet you drove my Venom straight to the water a few minutes after I gave it to you."

"I told you, some idiot crashed onto me." She explained. "And no, I got your precious car home safe. But I got into a coma so I dunno where it went."

"Yeah, yeah, get in the car." He held the door open.

"I'm only getting in from the driver's seat."

"Woman, I never hold open doors for anyone." Gat said, "Stop being a bitch and get in before I shove you in trunk! ...Alright, that's not a very good joke, but you get the idea. Get in."

"Last fucker who shoved me at the back of his car died a very painful death." She grinned.

"Then let's make this easy and just GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!"

"You're a real gentleman, you know that." She said sarcastically as she got in.

"Thanks. You're real lady-like yourself," He said as he got in the driver's seat. "Beating the crap out of masked wrestlers and shit. Being a gang leader..."

"Not anymore..." A smirked quickly formed on her face. "Boss."

"You're un-fucking-believable." He shook his head, "How do you even manage to bring that up every time we talk?"

"What can I say? I'm awesome."

"Boss-"

"Told you to stop calling me 'Boss'." She cut him off.

"Why the fuck not? And besides, I don't know what else to call you." He fired up the engine, "I can't even remember what I used to call you before you became the leader."

"Hmm... I don't know either. I think you just called me, 'Hey you in the hoodie!' or 'Kiddo with the red hair'."

"What the serious fuck is wrong with your name? I mean, why can't you say it?" He chuckled, "What, is it something embarrassing?"

"What? How did our conversation got here?" She chuckled, trying to avoid the question. She was quite good at doing that.

"Uh... You started it?"

"Why does everyone want to know my name anyway? They call me local psychopath in the news anyway." The Boss reached for the box of cigarettes on the dashboard. Her hand was quickly swatted off by Johnny.

"Hey, hey. You were just in an oxygen mask twenty minutes ago." He glared at her. She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest, "We're just a little curious. That's all. I mean, isn't that the first thing you ask when you meet someone?"

"I don't think names are that important. What matters is your skill, how capable you are and how useful you can be in the gang. I don't know what's the big deal. Zimos never tells us his real name. And I only know Shaundi by her first name... or nickname, I don't even know." She shrugged, "See? It's alright not to give your names. Besides, you call me Boss anyway."

"Yeah, but now that you're not, what are we supposed to call you?" He smirked at the loophole she created herself. She quickly realized what she's gotten herself into. Unfortunately, there's no way out like the last time. Unless, of course, she jumps out of the speeding sports car.

"I'm uhh... Shit..." She placed her hands over her face. "You really thought this through, didn't you?"

"Maybe." He let out a chuckle. "Pierce gave me the idea."

"Will it make a difference if I told you my name?"

"Definitely."

"Alright." She sighed.

He shot her a look just to see if she was serious. She was dead serious. It was as if she was preparing to give a speech in front of the Saints to lift their spirits before a major battle. He hit the brakes, stopping the car abruptly. This moment needs his full and undivided attention.

She took a deep breath.

A long time ago, she was just a faceless and nameless Saint. Just another one of those gangsters with a big dream to make it on top of the criminal underworld, not that it was her original plan in life. At one point, she wanted to become a reknowned doctor or maybe just an owner of a sea side restaurant, her name posted on billboards. Obviously, she lived a different life, and she grew up as a different person. A person that just happened to be a former gang leader.  
From the moment she decided to join the Saints under Julius' stewardship, she decided to cut herself from her previous life. A clean slate in a dirty world. And thus, she never told a single soul her name or where she's from. Maybe it was easier to be a different person like that. To focus on the present and the future rather than keep reminding herself of her not-so-awesome past.  
Time passed, and she was no longer the faceless gangster. She was reknowned. Her face was plastered all over the news. she never gave her name, so instead she was given titles: The leader of the Saints, The Stilwater Butcher, among many creative and intimidating titles they dubbed her.  
But now, the time has come to willingly reveal her secret to someone. She was pretty sure she can jump out of the car and just run into the alley next to them and he could never catch her. She could keep running or she could just tell him.  
Her heart was beating wildly again. She took another breath before turning to him, reaching for the loose silk tie hanging from his neck and pulling him close.  
Her lips finally uttered the seemingly foreign words to his ear. The words that she hadn't even spoken for such a long time, almost forgotten and lost, yet still within her like her soul.

* * *

A/N: I liked writing this chap. Nothing too serious. And considering that it's like the part two of my deleted chap, I think I'm glad the older one got deleted. This was so much better.  
Thank you Deidara-Danna-sama, for trying to help me in naming, and I know you've been looking forward on finding out my Boss' name but wait another chapter... or five. Kidding.  
Read and Review y'all!


	28. 27 - Awkward silences guaranteed

A/N: Hey! As promised, here it goes. Deidara-Danna-sama and SaintsRow4ever, your wait is over. I'm so sorry friends.

* * *

Chapter 27: Awkward silences guaranteed

"You don't look as surprised as I imagined." She finally said after a while. Her fingers twirled his tie keeping him in range.

She couldn't quite place how she felt at the moment. She felt relieved to finally be able to tell somebody, but somehow, she felt scared, regretful of what had just came out of her mouth. It was just her first name, but still, it was a huge step to take, considering that she never even told anyone for years. For the former Saints lady-boss, dropping her name is as good as telling your opponent your greatest weakness. But then again, he wasn't a contender. He was her best friend, more than that.

He smirked at her, seeing how flustered she was already. Her face went from pale white to Valentines Day roses. She couldn't keep eye contact for more than two seconds, "Well, what reaction were you expecting?"

"I dunno. You laughing hysterically or something." She shrugged, trying to keep her cool.

They both fell silent for a little while, as if trying to measure each other's feels at the moment.

"Eh... I kinda knew it anyway." He blurted out.

"You what?" She screamed, unintentionally pulling him stronger than she should've. His body jerked forward.

"Hey stop overreacting." Johnny took her hands off his tie, fixing it promptly in place, "Who do you think you're talking to anyway? We've known each other for years now did you really expect-"

"Why?" She covered her red face with both hands. "I mean- how?"

"Long story short: We were drinking. I asked. You told me." Gat said coolly.

"I did what?!" She exclaimed again. Johnny put his arms up in defense, in case she does something more violent than pulling his tie.

"Chill boss." He smiled, "No one else knew. Everyone else was already passed out and wasted when you told me. Probably why I even got you to tell me in the first place."

"Fuck my life. Wait, if you already knew how come you never called me by my name?"

"Well, it was your condition." He scoffed. "To quote, you said: 'Johnny Gat, you even mention—no, think my name I am gonna shoot your other leg with a rocket launcher!'"

"Oh." Was all she was able to retort.

"Yeah... Also, it's nice to keep it a secret. Its something I was sure only I knew about. Bragging rights, you know?" He chuckled, starting the engine again, "Plus I want you to willingly tell me your name. Not like how we did back then."

"Why? How did you ask my name?" She seemed intrigued. Whenever he says something like this, there's usually a good story behind it.

"I uhh... while you were in a choke hold." He said, a bit hesitantly, "Sorry. Remember that day you woke up in the church and you were complaining you have a really bad hangover all day. Its the night before."

"Fuck you! But because of that I became a sorta responsible drunk." She pouted, "And all the time I blamed the alcohol."

"See? No harm done." He grinned, looking at her, "You actually owe me _Elle_ -"

"Shut up!" She covered his mouth, making him hit the brakes abruptly. "Don't uhh..." she blushed, "Fuck you! Don't call me that in public."

"We're in a car..."

"Kinzie and Matt can do weirder stuffs than you can imagine." She reasoned.

"Oh, then can I call you boss again?" He saw her glare at him from the corner of his eye, "Or do you prefer _Elena_?"

"Whatever. Just don't use it all the time. ", She crossed her arms.

"Alright-y Ellie."

"God! I knew this would happen!" She threw her arms up.

He weaved through the traffic, "Eh, you're secret's safe with me."

She turned on the radio, hoping to dissipate her frustrations. She had enough confessions in a day.

"If you really knew all along... heh, It's just weird because it's you." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Knowing you, you'd probably tease me non-stop like you are doing now. Considering how immature you can be back then... also until now."

He scoffed, "Well, maybe I just invented the whole thing to piss you off. But maybe it was the truth. You'll never know."

Classical music boomed on the speakers. She heard Johnny curse, but she kept it there. There was something soothing in listening to seemingly unending instrumental symphonies. It calmed her nerves. She wasn't in the mood to be screamed at by some random heavy metal vocalist over the radio.

"Hey, you know what would be nice?" She opened her eyes, hearing Johnny clear his throat.

"What?" She looked at him.

"If we could go on a vacation."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, somewhere quiet. Somewhere close to nature for a change." A smug grin went over his face, "Like _Montana_."

She drove her fist to his face, breaking his nose in the process. She didn't know how else to react. He wasn't kidding when he said he knew her name. _Her whole name. _She cursed under her breath for a million times.

"Goddamn, Boss!" He said, half-laughing as he wiped the blood off his nose with his hand. "You sure know how to make a car accident."

"You proved your point!" She screamed quite hysterically, "You knew my name since before and let me get nervous about it until this point because I thought I might never give my name to anyone when all along-"

He let out a dark chuckle before grabbing her by the back of her head and pulling her to a kiss.

"You're a psycho, Johnny Gat..." She muttered against his lips, breaking it for one second before pulling him back into a deeper kiss.

"_Elena Montana_." She felt his lips curl into a smile, "Feels good to finally be able to use it."

"You jerk." She wrinkled her nose.

"And I love you too."

* * *

A/N: Yayayayayay! Finally decided on a name. Well that took longer than expected.

Elle Bishop from the TV series "Heroes" is one of my favorite characters of all time. Oh, and she's portrayed by Kristen Bell, also one of my faves coz, she's really pretty. Oh, and also Elle Driver(The blonde one with the eye patch) from Kill Bill is my fave in their cobra unit. So yeah, I'm like, meh, I'll name my character Elle or Ellie. But it sounds too much of a nickname rather than an actual name, so I googled it. Poof, it says Elle can be derived from Elizabeth or Eleanor or Elaine, but then I thought, Elena. It sounds nice. Elle. I think it's a cute name.

Oh and the Montana last name? If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I loooove gangster movies. Scarface is still at the top of my list just because Al Pacino is awesome. "Say hello to my little friend." Booyeah! Then he dies. *Cries* If you have time, download it and watch it. Especially if you're a GTA: Vice City fan. I mean, seriously, watch it. You'll get all the VC feels. With the chainsaw and the mansion and all.

Anyway, long A/N again because I'm hyper. Sorry.

Read and review!


	29. 28 - Goodbyes

A/N: Heeey, sorry for the late update. Been busy. Anyway, I'm starting to write the last chapter, well bits of it, but I can't get through because I feel like crying every time.

Warning: Filler chapter just because...

* * *

Chapter 28: Goodbyes

She lazily opened her eyes as she heard the sound of knocking on the door. She cursed silently as she shut her eyes again, re-adjusting herself to a more comfortable position, ready to fall asleep again.

The knocking continued. More urgent-sounding this time too.

"Gat, can you get the door?" She mumbled as she covered her ears with a pillow.

"Nah." He said lazily, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Mmm'kay." She said with her voice trailing off, dozing back to sleep.

The knocking turned into loud consecutive banging followed by a loud crashing sound that sounded like a vase thrown against the door.

"You two better be dead inside because if I find out you're just sleeping and ignoring me on purpose, I'm gonna kill you both!" Shaundi yelled through the door. "This is urgent! Wake up motherfuckers!"

"Goddamnit Shaundi! Nothing's more urgent than my sleep!" The Boss yelled back. She was never the morning person. Every Saint knew not to piss her off before nine. "Go back in three hours or so!"

"Seriously, Boss? It's ten in the morning, get your lazy ass up!" She shot back.

She rolled out of bed, cursing every step she took towards the door.

"Why, thank you." Shaundi said sarcastically. Her arms crossed and her feet tapping loudly on the floor. "It's been a whole ten minutes."

"So, what's so urgent? Alien invasion? Zombie apocalypse? Black plague? World war III is starting?" She yawned. "Ooh, new gang? Don't tell me- they want our city and steal our businesses?"

"No." She said flatly. "What's wrong with your brain in the morning? Seriously, aliens?"

"Something's wrong with it twenty four-seven, Shaundi, in case you hadn't noticed."

The female lieutenant sighed, crossing her arms one more time. "We got something to talk about."

"Talk? Well, it's pretty boring then. Bye Shaundi." She prompted to close the door.

"MI6 is in the crib." Shaundi snorted before she could close it fully, "Better get dressed nicely, Boss."

"What?" She looked down and blushed, realizing that she was wearing nothing but a white shirt over her underwear. It wasn't even buttoned up.

She smiled sheepishly, "Riiight... I'll go get dressed first."

She turned her back, retreating to the bathroom. Johnny replaced her, leaning to the door and eyeing Shaundi.

"What did you say was here?"

"MI6." Shaundi said with a bit of irritation.

"Like James Bond-MI6?" He raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Fuck do I know." She crossed her arm.

"Fine, fine." He chuckled. "Somebody's having a bad day."

"Shut up and get ready. I'll meet you there in ten."

"Yep." He said dismissively.

"I mean it, Gat! We don't even know what they want." She turned her back, "It could be trouble, so hurry up."

"I like trouble." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

* * *

"MI6?" Johnny said as the elevator door closed, "It would be challenging to fight them, don't you think?"

"I think they'd be like STAG but cooler and better." She smiled. "You really think they're here to pick a fight?"

"I don't know, Elle." He sighed, "But just in case, we need to be careful."

"Don't worry. I'm always packing heat." She said.

They simultaneously positioned their hands near their holster, ready to draw and shoot as the elevator opened to the bottom level of the Purgatory. They scanned the room for possible threats. There was none. Nothing out of place, except a woman in black sitting on the couch.

"Oh, nothing? No soldiers?" Johnny said with a hint of disappointment in his voice, "Just a woman?"

"Not _just _a woman." She stood up, setting down the cup of tea she to the table. She wore a dress shirt and a high-waist black pencil skirt. Her dark hair was in a neat braid. She looked professional, classy, but nonetheless, an aura of danger emits from her. They both felt it. For the MI6, or any organization for that matter, to send a single person to the Saint's lair, it probably means there's something special about this person. She meant business. "Johnny Gat, I presume?"

"Yeah, and who are you?" He said cockily.

"The name's Asha. Asha Oedekar." She offered her hand, "MI6."

He looked at it before ultimately refusing to shake her hand. She set down her hand.

"And you must be the leader of the Saints." Asha turned to the redhead.

"Oh, yeah. But not anymore." She smiled, "He's the boss now."

"Well, that's unfortunate." Asha raised an eyebrow. There was tension building up between Gat and her.

"Hey lady, what do you want from the Saints anyway?" Gat said irritated, "I don't have all day."

"Alright then. Let's get to business." She sat back down to the sofa. "I'm here for one thing."

"Uh-huh, and what's that?" The Boss said.

"Matt Miller. MI6 wants to have him work for us." She said bluntly, "We need talents such as his for certain operative missions we have."

"Don't you have a hacker of your own?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes, we have several, but Matt Miller is exceptional. He has natural talent which we could definitely use."

"And this is in exchange for...?"

"Nothing. Peace, I guess." Asha retorted, "If you don't comply, we would be forced to use lethal force."

"Hah, you think you can take us on?" Gat chuckled darkly.

"I think I can take _you_ on." Asha said confidently.

"Do you wanna test that theory?" He smirked.

"Maybe. Is there a place here we could spar?"

"Helipad. Although you might break some bones when I kick your ass off the roof."

"Ugh, that's enough." The Boss interjected. "Let's go call Miller and just ask him if he wants to come with you."

"That ain't so fun." Johnny smiled.

* * *

Matt was between thrilled and anxious when the Boss told him of the news. Working for the secret service would be a great experience, considering the technology they have. But still, it's a completely different realm from his previous gang experience. He knew the risks.

"So what's it gonna be?" Elle laced her fingers together.

"I'm still weighing my options, I mean, it is _the _MI6. It's a big deal..."

"You wanna go or what?"

"What- I-"

"Come on, I'm not gonna be mad if you decide to go for MI6 agent Matt Miller over Cyberpunk Matt." She smiled. "Hey, your life, your choice. I'm not Killbane, I'm not gonna make them for you."

Miller let out a sigh, looking straight into her cold eyes, "Alright."

"Alright, what?"

"I'll do it. I'll join the MI6."

"You what!?" She exclaimed slamming her palms on the table, making Matt brace himself.

She laughed, "Oh relax, Matt. I was kidding." She chuckled, "Are you sure though? It's a legit job so you can't fool around like you do here or in the Deckers. You do know that?"

"Y-yes."

"So you're absolutely sure of your choice?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I-I don't know." He sighed. "Yes. I want to join the MI6." He said with conviction.

She locked her eyes with him for a few moment. He felt shivers down his spine, wondering if he made the wrong choice and the Boss might just have to kill him and Asha.

"Atta boy." She stood up, patting his shoulder. "Well, Asha said they need you as soon as possible, something to do with terrorists or something, I didn't listen. So I think that means you should pack already."

He was at loss of words. She was indeed unpredictable.

* * *

"Boss, I want you to know..." Matt began to say as they walked on the helipad.

"I know, Matt. You love Nyteblade with a burning passion and would hate to go because you'd be farther from him if you leave Steelport." She said, putting an arm over the teen's shoulder.

"Yes... I mean, no. That's not what I'm going to say." Matt said shaking his head.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the idiot Birk, I mean- Franklin Nyte for you."

"Boss..." He sighed.

"Yeah? Anything else, fan boy?"

"Just... Thank you. If I knew you better back then, I wouldn't have tried to kill you." The young Brit said, "Although I might still have to because Killbane's really terrifying."

"And I'm not?" She gasped.

"Well, sort of. In the simulation, when you are about to kill me, yeah." He said quickly, "But I always kinda knew that you were kind of hilarious. I mean, in a nice way."

"You're real honest, Matt." She laughed.

"You are actually kind of nice, Boss. I didn't expect we would actually get along after all that's happened."

"You're a good kid. Just playing for the wrong team before, but since we fixed that already, we're good." She smiled, "I was once like you, you know. Just a kid trying to play in the world of adults. Trying to make a name for myself and doing everything they asked of me while keeping my mouth shut so I don't piss off my bosses so they don't cap my ass. Trying hard to stay alive and climb to the top." She chuckled. "I've come a long way."

She turned to face him squarely. "You have a lot of potential, Matt Miller. You have a long way to go. Just don't forget who your friends are and never turn your back on them. Fight for whatever it is that you believe in and not just because someone orders you to do so. And one last thing..."

She planted a kiss on his cheek before whispering on his ear. "...Never stop dreaming. I'll be watching over you, cyber god."

He nodded before walking towards the chopper waiting for him. Asha was already on board, waiting for him.

"Hey Boss!" Matt yelled, fighting against the sound of the whirring helicopter. "Thanks for not killing me! Really appreciate it."

"It was a good call. Kinzie will miss you!" She yelled back as she waved. "Have a safe trip."

* * *

A/N: I loooove Matt Miller in SR IV (Note that I hate that punk in 3 at first but I grew to like him. His face when he was trying to convince killbane to let him go was just priceless.). Especially when the Boss punched him in that nice little bit of serious scene in the game. Love it. And the loyalty mission was awesome. So funny but I think it captured the message it was trying to convey. I loved the last part where, oops spoiler, the Boss gives him superpowers and all the rights to Nyteblade and shit and I loved the last thing the Boss said: "One condition, Matt: Never stop." Because all the while in the mission, I felt like the Boss was just trying to tolerate Matt and is a bit irritated but in the end, it showed that s/he actually cared about him and what he's feeling. That's kinda rare of the boss because I always figured s/he don't really care about other people's feelings. In IV, they showed that the Boss genuinely cares for his/her people. SR IV is actually big on character development especially with the characters from SR3 like Kinzie and Matt. You really see the progress. Kudos Volition and Deep Silver!

Sorry, long A/N.

Read and review!


End file.
